


New Dawn

by Charlie_chan16



Series: It's a New Dawn, it's a New Day [1]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Ardyn is a slimy bitch, F/M, Gen, M/M, Messing with the timeline boi, except maybe Regis, solis hates him, teen for swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2020-03-30
Packaged: 2020-04-07 07:44:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 23
Words: 74,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19080577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Charlie_chan16/pseuds/Charlie_chan16
Summary: This story has been told many times. A Prince looses his country, his family and his love and takes his merry men of four on a journey for revenge. Almost sounds like a Shakespearean tragedy in a way. One that dragged millions of people to see it, across all kinds of platforms.But, what if one thing changed? What if one thing in the whole story was different? What if it set off a chain reaction which rewrote the story as you knew it? What if it changed the course of history? Would you want it?The real question is, will this change be what you're expecting? And, will you want it to change a story you know so well?





	1. Hang the Moon

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, hello, hello!  
> I'm so excited to be finally publishing this work, I've been going at it for a few months now and the idea came to me while (re) watching Game of Thrones - no surprise there.  
> This is the first major work I've created for FFXV that has actually worked and trust me I've tried many times. So, get ready for a lot of changes - like literally I've taken the plot of the game and basically tossed it out of the window and said 'fuck that.'  
> So, have fun with this and strap yourselves in guys, its gonna be a long one. Also thank you to LadyNightingGaleofMilvania for Betaing this monster! And for sticking with me while I spitballed ideas! Love you!! <333  
> Updates will be on the first and third Monday of every month if I can!

“Solis Lilium! You get back here right now!” the cook yelled, chasing after the retreating back of an eleven-year-old boy. How had he come to this? He, the culinary protégé of his small town, who had earned his place in the Tenebrae Manor kitchens and worked his way to head cook, was now reduced to running after a kid who had the audacity to steal one of his tarts.

“Young man!” he shouted again, following the boy around the corner and down the servants’ staircase. The cook dodged around colleagues, throwing apologies over his shoulder as he went. The kid was heading towards the main castle. The boy’s mother would kill him if Solis was spotted running about the place, and that woman was scary enough when she was angry.  

 

Solis laughed joyously, clutching the tart lightly in his fist to keep it from dropping to the floor. He had smelt what Cook was baking from halfway across the manor – or it felt that way when he was actually making his way to the kitchen, anyway; his stomach had been growling at him all morning.

Usually when he stole food, he was never able to get past the kitchen door – the heavy grip of Cook’s hand dragging him out of the room was a familiar one. A sense of victory burned in Solis’s chest as he continued his fast pace through the corridors of the manor, his tasty treat a warm trophy in the palm of his hand.

His mother was going to kill him when she found out.

He headed for the main entrance to the castle, slipping through one of the many secret doors from the servant’s part of the manor to the foyer. It shone and sparkled in the mid-morning sun, a result of the housemaids’ hard work. His blue combat boots thundered over the floor as he aimed for a door on his left.

He could hear Cook behind him, right on his heels.

“Stop right now or you’ll never visit her Ladyship again!” Cook shouted at him.

That almost gave Solis pause. He loved Luna, loved talking to her about anything and everything. She was his best friend, and he was hers; however, the threat wasn’t enough to halt his pace. He knew Cook wouldn’t be able to keep the two of them apart – they knew the manor better than anyone.

So, Solis continued to run, his strawberry-blonde hair falling into his eyes as he bolted down another corridor. He had no idea where he was going, just that he needed to avoid the main manor and get Cook off his tail.   

The pastry in his hand was starting to feel sticky, crumbs and powdered sugar covering his fingers. He could feel parts of it dropping on the floor like he was Hansel, leaving a trail for someone to find. One that Cook followed closely, almost on Solis’ heels. 

Solis dodged around a corner, pressing his back up against an alcove. Cook ran by him, unaware of his hiding place and sprinting for the door on the opposite end of the corridor. Solis smirked, shoving half of the pastry in his mouth. He pocketed the other half, saving some for later.

Now that he was free he headed back into the main corridor, lightly jogging now, but keeping an eye behind his shoulder. The manor seemed quieter than usual, and hardly anyone was around. “Must be because of the special guests,” Solis muttered to himself.

After a few minutes of not hearing Cook following him, Solis slowed to a stroll, pulling out the other half of his baked treat and nibbling on a crust. He loved Cook’s baking, but the tarts were meant for the queen’s afternoon tea. Surely that didn’t mean that Solis couldn’t steal one  _ tiny  _ snack. It wasn’t as if she would count them.

However, he had been nicking food more often, and knew that if and when Cook caught up with him, he’d have multiple new chores added to his list. Not to mention the telling-off he would get from his mother. He shuddered at the thought.

“There you are!” A sudden shout caused Solis to whip his head round, spotting Cook about halfway down the corridor behind him. His eyes widened and he broke into a sprint again.

Solis broke back into a sprint, except this time he felt as if he was stretching it out. If he could find Luna or his mother, he could get Cook off his hide, if only for a little while.

As it turned out, he only needed to wait a few seconds before he found both of them.

“The gardens are beautiful at this time of year,” Queen Sylva commented, breathing in the sweet fresh air. Regis nodded from beside her, glancing at the children who wandered a few feet ahead, Lunafreya pushing Noctis in his wheelchair.

“I have to say, the sylleblossoms are quite lovely,” he said, a gentle smile gracing his lips as he surveyed the area. He felt totally at peace in Tenebrae, as if he had left all his stress back in Insomnia. He knew he would have to go back to it eventually, and face the old codgers on the council. But for now, he didn’t want to think of them at all.

A maid walked with them, dressed simply in a light blue dress and white apron, the standard uniform for the servants. She had stayed silent for most of their walk and remained a few feet behind the queen. She kept her head bowed and hands folded, although she would glance up at the flowers when she pleased.

Regis recognised the maid from when he was a young adult, visiting to finalise his father’s treaty with Tenebrae and to bring his bride home. He remembered the alcohol he had had that night, the pressure of meeting his new wife’s expectations weighing down on his shoulders. It wasn’t until he was making his way back to his room that he met the serving girl.

In his drunken stupor, he had thought her ethereal, and when sober he experienced her natural beauty. Her strawberry-blonde hair glowed and turned golden in the moonlight. Her green eyes had captured his easily and when he strained his ears, he could hear her humming. He had approached clumsily, and he couldn’t remember whether she was surprised or not.

In fact, he couldn’t remember much, his memory hazy until the point where both of them lay on his bed, the server girl – Oriana, the name having been moaned a few times – curled up beside him as he mentally screeched at himself. He had been stupid then, and when he had arrived in Tenebrae made it a point to find her and apologise for his behaviour.

“The children seem to be getting on well,” Sylva commented, smiling as Luna pointed out a plant to Noctis up ahead.

Again, Regis nodded in agreement, casting his eyes on his son and thinking how happy he looked. He was pleased – the boy had gone through so much in the past few months that he deserved to be happy. “I think it will be hard to take Noctis home again,” he replied, chuckling quietly at the thought of how grumpy Noctis would become.

“Well, he is welcome back to the palace whenever he pleases,” Sylva giggled. She stooped down by a flower and picking it from the ground. “I love how peaceful it is here. Everything seems to work in harmony even as the world around it battles for dominance.”

Regis’s brow furrowed at the mention of the war – of how he had felt when he had to keep the Wall intact, and how Niflheim caused his son to become so injured. What Emperor Aldercapt hoped to achieve would never happen, not if Regis had any say about it. “Yes, I as well.”

The sudden thundering of footsteps behind them caused the party to stop. A blur streaked past Regis and grabbed hold of Luna, causing the poor girl to release her grip on Noctis’s wheelchair and face the doorway. “Luna! Help! Cook’s gonna kill me!” the blur shouted, crouching behind the smaller girl.

A few things happened after that which set Regis’s head spinning. One was that a large man came bumbling through the glass doors, puffing out large breaths as he attempted to calm down. Next was that said man began to shout at the boy behind Luna, bowing first to the queen before he did.

Oriana emerged from behind the queen, her face darkened with anger. “Solis! What have I told you about stealing food from the kitchen?!” Oriana suddenly yelled, stalking up to her son as he cowered behind Lunafreya. “You know that by stealing food you’re setting a bad example for the other children?” Solis nodded nervously, his hands clutching Lunafreya’s clothing.

Lunafreya had a large grin on her face. She didn’t seem fazed at having a furious woman stand before her; she even giggled as Oriana continued to tell Solis off. The boy was cowering behind Luna but every now and then stuck his tongue out at the cook. 

The queen and Regis were politely stifling their laughter, while Noctis giggled at the sight. Regis found Solis quite charming, if a little mischievous. The boy’s hair matched his mother’s, although it was slightly curly and probably reached his shoulders when it was out of the confinement of its ponytail.

The boy’s clothing was completely different to any of the servant attire Regis had seen around the castle. Although it held hints of the national colours of Tenebrae in the blue combat boots and white shirt, the purple shorts and mismatched socks gave the outfit an estranged look. It was his eyes, however, that caused Regis to do a double take. He expected green emeralds like his mother’s. Instead, he saw a pair of dark blue sapphires, ones that Regis saw every time he looked in the mirror, or at Noctis.

A shiver ran up and down his spine. The boy looked to be a few years older than Noctis. At most, he could be twelve years old, which would make his birth year the same year that Regis first came to Tenebrae. 

“I only stole them ’cause I was hungry,” the boy pouted from behind Luna’s head. “And you know I can’t resist Cook’s tarts.”

Regis snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of the boy and cast his gaze to Oriana. The woman was glancing at him, biting her bottom lip as she saw Regis staring at her child.

“Oh! You mean the tarts with the Ulwaat berries?” said Luna. The boy nodded enthusiastically. He patted his pockets a few times, as if looking for the tart, and then his face screwed into a sheepish smile.

“You ate it, didn’t you?” Luna asked, a smile still in place. The boy nodded, and the girl rolled her eyes fondly.

“How about we adjourn for tea?” Sylva suggested, and Regis suddenly realised that the large man had disappeared. 

Oriana stepped forward, and Solis emerged from behind Luna, looking like a kicked puppy. “I’m afraid we will have to leave, Your Majesty,” she said, placing a hand on Solis’s shoulder. “I need to get this one to apologise to Cook.” The informal way the servant talked to her ruler surprised Regis slightly.

“Of course, Oriana. I will be needing your assistance later in my study when you have completed your duties,” the queen replied. 

Oriana bowed, and the two began to walk back to the castle.

Regis turned to the Queen, excusing himself before briskly making his way towards the maid and her son. He could feel the Queen’s questioning gaze on the back of his head. “Oriana!” Regis called. The woman stopped, waving Solis on with her hand and awaiting for Regis by the door. “I was wondering if I might speak with you alone. I believe we have some catching up to do.” His eyes flicked to the boy across the way, watching his combat boots scuff the floor.

Oriana gave him a small smile then bowed politely. “Of course, Your Majesty,” she replied. 

Regis watched as the two of them left. He saw Solis glancing back with a slight frown creasing his forehead.

Although the two hadn’t organised a place to meet, Regis strolled through the corridors of the palace, the moon illuminating his path ahead in an ethereal glow. It was reminiscent of that night twelve years ago. The moonlight, the meeting, the –

But Regis was older, wiser and more mature now. He knew that whatever he did tonight, it would have consequences for him and the people involved. He just hoped that when facing Oriana he would have the same courage as he had on the throne.

He found her in the west wing, arms folded over her chest and head tilted towards the sky. Her emerald-green eyes flitted across the stars, as if she were counting them one by one. She turned towards Regis as he approached, and once again she bowed. The bow seemed as if it were solidifying their status: king and servant. 

“It’s a beautiful night.” Regis approached cautiously, glancing at Oriana again. The woman didn’t move, still gazing out the window in thought.

She breathed in deeply, turning her head slightly towards the king. She seemed to hesitate, almost rolling what she wanted to say in her mouth. “He’s yours,” she said, the two words cutting through Regis’s soul with no mercy. 

Regis could hear his blood pumping in his veins, could feel his heart almost stop in his chest. He had a son – illegitimate, but a son. A brother for Noctis, another person to continue the legacy.

A boy who would face the wrath of the council if he was ever discovered

“W-When did you—”

“A few weeks after you left. My monthly flower didn’t bloom, and I went to the matron immediately. Solis was born on the third of March. He’s twelve years old.” She was fully facing him now, and Regis took a step backwards. “He loves his combat boots, playing with Luna and training with Ravus. When he was eight he found he had some magic when he helped a bird with a hurt wing. Granted, it is a small amount of magic, but it was enough to gain Queen Sylva’s attention. He is to be Luna’s acolyte, and I’m sure you know what that means.”

Regis nodded numbly and Oriana ploughed on, not letting him get a word in edgewise. “He’s good at his studies, both magical and educational. He loves history and is prone to go on long debates with Luna on the integrity of the gods. He helps around the manor – as well as cause mischief – and is always smiling. No matter what life throws at him.” Oriana stopped for a moment, catching her breath and attempting to calm down. 

She huffed slightly, glaring at the man. “He’s my child. I didn’t have him to make you return and have me as your queen. I had him because I loved him, and he grew up knowing that if his father ever met him, he would love him too. You don’t need to take him home with you – hell, I wouldn’t even let you. My boy needs to stay here, where he belongs. With me.”

Regis attempted to get a hold of himself. His eyes were wide and he tightly gripped his cloak. “I have no intention of taking him from you.” He cleared his throat and adjusted his waistcoat. “Why Solis?” he asked.

Oriana smiled fondly as she glanced down at her shoes. “Solis means sunlight, and I thought it quite funny when you named your son Noctis. They’re two sides of the coin.” She laughed quietly and looked up into Regis’s eyes. “I named him Solis because that’s what he is to me: my sunlight in the darkest times. I thought it quite funny.”

Regis smiled softly at that. “Well, I guess I’ll just have to get to know him, won’t I? That is, if that’s in order? I don't want to cause any unnecessary danger.”

“Don’t tell him – at least not yet. The queen plans to get him started on his acolyte training and I don’t think having this dropped on him would be good for his mental stability.” 

Regis inclined his head politely. “Of course.” 

 


	2. Shatter and Collide

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Occupation of Tenebrae and the meeting of a slimy snake.

The sun was shining that day, bright, yellow and warm upon the surface of their star as Solis wandered with Luna and Noctis in the gardens. He liked the dark-haired boy; he’d only known Noctis for a few weeks, but that had been enough to know that the kid didn’t smile enough. Solis made it his job to get the little prince to smile each day. 

He strolled on the left-hand side of Luna, his blue combat boots quiet on the grassy floor as he hummed to himself. Birds twittered in the trees above their heads and the wind rustled their leaves lazily. 

“It’s so peaceful,” Solis murmured, tipping his head back and basking in the sunlight. “I love all the colours. They’re so pretty this year.” 

“I love the blue of the sylleblossoms – they’ve grown quite well despite the weather,” Luna commented, pointing to the rows upon rows of blue flowers. Solis always thought they looked like trees if you placed your head at the right height. Blue trees stretching towards a blue sky. 

“Me too,” Noctis piped up from his chair, tilting his head back to smile at the two behind him. Noctis had slowly but surely come out of his shell since he arrived in Tenebrae. His father came to visit from time to time, each visit looking more drawn and exhausted than the last.

The royal entourage had come to the gardens for an outing, surrounded by multiple soldiers as the two monarchs discussed matters. The three children had left them behind, wanting to be together alone for the very last time before Noctis had to leave. 

It was strange to Solis that the King didn’t stay with his son full time while he recovered, but he guessed that with a country to run, he couldn’t be in two places at once. The king had arrived a few days beforehand, ruffled, as if he was pulled tight by a string. It had set most of the servants on edge, the maids whispering to each other in the corridors as they passed, the bell boys muttering amongst themselves as they carried the dinner trays up to the dining hall. 

Solis never stayed in one place long enough to hear what they said, but he always caught the word ‘Niflheim’ floating around their conversations. It was always said in hushed whispers, like it shouldn’t be mentioned. He didn’t know what it meant but assumed it was a name

Solis had begun his acolyte training a few weeks ago, although ‘training’ seemed a strong word for it. His teacher – an old wrinkled man who, or so he told Solis, had once been Queen Sylva’s acolyte – had him learning the ancient songs to call the gods. Solis was drilled on the pronunciation and spelling, almost as if he was back in his lessons with his mother. He did find it extremely fascinating, especially whenever he learned about the Oracle. 

He had noticed a few weeks ago a lady wandering about the castle. She would be there whenever he had his acolyte lessons, or when he was alone with Luna. She was dressed mostly in black, with hair of the same colour draped down her back. What interested Solis most about her was that her eyes were always shut – he never saw them open. The boy usually shrugged it off, thinking it was a fashion statement of some sort.

“Do you think they’ll have those tarts again during tea?” Noctis asked, breaking the silence that had omitted them. 

“You mean the ones that I snuck you a few days ago?” Solis asked. “You’re gonna turn chubby if you have any more of them. We’ll have to get three servants to push you instead of just Luna.” The three children giggled at the thought. 

“I suppose they will, since it is your last day here,” Luna commented, turning to Noctis, whose mouth was watering at the thought of his favourite treat. 

“Why do you have to leave so soon, Noctis?” Solis pouted, crossing his arms petulantly. “You could always stay here.”

Noctis smiled at the two of them and looked out into the stretch of green in front of them. “It’s not that I want to go home. Father needs me home. He says that I have to begin my lessons on ruling. I’d love to stay here, where no one expects anything from me.” He sighed and fiddled with his hands. “I guess it’s also because of the fact that I’m healed and can go home.” 

Solis didn’t understand the world of royals. Sure, he had experienced it somewhat from the inside, but he never knew what the big deal was with learning how to rule. Why didn’t they just learn by making mistakes – like how Solis made mistakes during his escapades around the manor, and learned which paths not to take and which shortcuts allowed him to avoid different members of staff? 

They continued their walk for a while, the noises of nature enveloping them once again as they headed back leisurely towards the entourage. Solis walked with his head tipped back and his arms folded behind it, gazing at the sky. He loved being with his two best friends, none of them needing to talk to fill the void, which they didn’t need to fill anyway. It was peaceful, almost tranquil, to the three children. 

The rumble of engines and the smell of exhaust broke the tranquillity a few moments later. There was a sound like thunder, getting closer and closer. They looked up at  the sky, spotting airships speeding towards the manor, the sound of them drilling a hole in Solis’s skull. 

“The Empire,” Solis muttered, glancing at the ships in wonder before being pulled  by the guards towards the adults, Luna and Noctis almost looking on the verge of tears. The thumps of soldiers being dropped to the floor sounded behind them, but Solis and Luna - who was still pushing Noctis - didn’t dare look behind them as they ran. 

Oriana held out her hand for her son screaming for him to run faster as the other servants began to run for the castle. The sounds of soldiers behind them was terrifying. A large thump caused the boy to glance back spotting a large soldier landing just behind the King. He saw Noctis and Luna being dragged by Regis, with the queen and Ravus nowhere in sight. A large man in heavy armour stood amongst the Empire’s lackeys, a ginormous sword held vertical and close to his face. 

“Hurry,” Oriana gasped, pulling Solis’s arm and causing his gaze to face forward once again. The large knight had begun to dart between people, cutting them down as if they were crops in a field. Solis forced himself not to look back, didn’t want to as he listened to the screams of people dying. A different shout caused his to come to a grinding halt and look behind himself.

A horrifying sight met his eyes. A wave of fire rolled over the queen’s body, the sword that had been thrust through her chest mere inches away from Ravus’s nose. The boy’s mouth was open in a silent scream, tears rolling down his cheeks. 

Solis’s heart stopped, his whole body at a standstill, causing his mother to halt too. Solis ripped his hand from his mother’s grip, not paying heed to her desperate cry behind him as he sprinted for the prince.  Solis hadn’t talked to Ravus much, but he was still his friend, and that knight was going to kill him if someone didn’t do something. 

Solis didn’t notice the other three royals as he ran past, didn’t notice his mother as she screamed his name and ran after him. He only noticed the pounding of his heart in his ears and the curled up form of the prince over his mother’s body. “Ravus!” Solis screamed as he reached the boy.

Luna suddenly stopped at the sound of Solis’s shout, letting go of King Regis’s hand and allowing the Empire’s soldiers to surround her. She couldn’t leave her brother or her best friend behind. She couldn’t leave her country in the hands of someone as evil as the emperor. So, with a heart full of lead she watched as Noctis disappeared from view, replaced with the red and gold of the Empire. She didn’t expect the King to come back for her, or her people. The Empire was there for them; better to get away rather than be a hero. 

Solis knelt by Ravus, clutching onto the prince’s arm as his mother, who had caught up to him, held the two boys close. The smell of burning flesh and blood filled Solis’s nostrils as the three of them bent over the queen’s body. It scared Solis how easily the Empire had invaded, how quickly they had destroyed his home and killed the most powerful woman he knew. 

Luna was thrown roughly to the ground, landing beside Ravus who immediately wrapped his arms around her shoulders and buried his nose into the crook of her neck. His own shoulders were now visibly shaking as he sobbed. The Empire soldiers surrounded Solis, Luna, Ravus and Oriana, pointing their guns at them as the large knight stalked over to them, menacingly. He doesn’t say a word, just stands and watches over them, waiting. 

Solis realised then that they were the only people alive. The rest lay strewn on the grass, lying in their own blood. His breathing picked up slightly, the adrenaline still coursing through his veins. Tears flowed from his eyes as he clutched his mother’s arm, watching as an airship landed a few metres away. 

 

The airship was crude and old, and didn’t look like it should be able to fly for five minutes. The metal groaned as it landed, and the door dropped open. An old man in heavy red and white robes stepped out. Solis recognised him from the newspapers: Emperor Aldercapt. Through his terror as he hung onto his mother’s shirt sleeve, Solis thought that it was strange for such a powerful man to travel in such a dreadful ship. Maybe it was for safety; anyone would go for the larger, more extravagant ship when trying to shoot down an emperor, not a banged-up cargo ship. 

Emperor Aldercapt wore a smug grin as he came towards them, the soldiers standing at attention as he approached. He was flanked by two soldiers and a man wearing a fedora hat. His grey hair fanned to his shoulders and his robes were lined in fur in some places. 

“Well, well. How easily the mighty have fallen,” Aldercapt began, allowing his gaze to rove over all of them. He was taller than Solis expected; he had to tilt his head up to properly look at the old man. “Is this the last of Tenebrae’s great monarch? A snivelling little prince, and a cowardly princess?” The emperor seemed to gloss over Oriana and Solis, who breathed a sigh of relief. They didn’t need any unwanted attention. 

Solis could feel his mother’s grip on his arm tighten, a warning not to lash out. He stayed meek and quiet, not daring to look away from the Emperor. 

“You do realise what this means for your country, correct?” The emperor didn’t wait for a reply as he waved his arm over the surrounding area. “All of this,” he said, “is now under the control of Niflheim. All of you are under my rule. And whatever I say, you must follow.” The emperor crouched down suddenly, grabbing hold of Ravus’s chin and forcing the boy to look at him. “Is that understood?” Through his tears, Ravus glared at the man, but nodded nevertheless. 

Solis glanced in shock at Ravus, rage bubbling from the pit of his stomach. This was their home, not something this old prune could take away from them. He could feel Oriana tighten her grip on his hand, a warning as Luna shook her head slightly at him. He calmed down and listened. 

The emperor, satisfied, stood and turned to his entourage of guards standing by the defeated monarchs. “Take them back to the castle. Lock them in different rooms,” he told the soldiers. 

The man in the fedora bowed before the emperor. “And the two servants, Your Excellency?” he asked. There was a strange glint in his eye as he caught Solis’s gaze. A shiver ran up and down the boy’s spine, and he gripped his mother’s hand tighter. 

“They won’t do any harm. Put them with the prince and princess. I have a feeling we’ll find a use for them,” the emperor replied, and the man nodded. He seemed to be enjoying watching the prisoners as they slowly shuffled towards the palace once again, leaving the queen’s body behind. Solis could see tears welling in Luna’s eyes and when he got close enough, Solis grabbed hold of Luna’s hand and saw his mother took hold of Ravus’s. 

They remained joined until they reached the castle, when the soldiers separated them and shoved them into their rooms. Solis and Oriana were tossed in together, which was a blessing for both. 

They waited then. And waited and waited. The sun had fallen beyond the horizon when their door was finally opened, and the man in the fedora hat stepped inside. Two guards stood waiting by the door, their guns clutched menacingly in hand as the door clicked shut. 

Fedora-hat took his time circling the room, running his finger over every surface while Oriana gently and slowly placed her son behind her back. A wall between Solis and the man. “When I was told about you by the Princess, I was surprised,” the man suddenly began. “An acolyte, she said. Very uncommon in the line of Oracles. An ordinary civilian with the power to aid a mighty sorceress.” He stopped, turning towards the two of them finally. “Now how does that come about?” A rhetorical question, and Solis kept his trap shut. He had nothing to say, he had no idea where these powers come from, but from the way his mother’s shoulders tensed Solis guessed she did. 

“An acolyte isn’t powerful, usually they have enough raw magic to fill half of an ordinary tea cup,” the man continued, raising his arms almost in question. “So why is it that you were chosen? A serving boy whose mother has no family name to think of.” 

Solis scowled, beginning to become annoyed and angry now; no one hurt his mother, over his dead body. The man didn’t take notice however, amber eyes focused on his mother as the man took a single step forward. “A sultry night, perhaps,” he suggested, another step forward. “One where a certain king had too much to drink.” 

He was two feet away now, and Oriana stood firm, clutching Solis’ hand in her own and staring down fedora-hat man. A smirk made its way to his mouth, and his eyes gleamed like a sabertusk about to pounce on its prey. “A certain king perhaps?” At that, Solis’ brows furrowed, and Oriana’s shoulders tensed up again. Solis could feel her holding her breath. 

“How intriguing,” was all the man said next, taking in Oriana’s stance and Solis’ confused expression. Fedora-hat took a few steps backwards, away from the mother and son, scrutinising the boy. He could feel the man’s eyes on his person, sending a shiver up and down his spine.

“You are expected to continue your duties, and your son his lessons,” he said suddenly, breaking the tense atmosphere abruptly. The man made his way to the door, turning towards them again when his hand turned the knob. “Any, mischief,” he said, “and there will be consequences.” The door shut quietly behind him, and a puff of air escaped past Oriana’ lips. 

“Mum?” Solis asked uncertainly, watching as his mother shuffled towards the bed. She took a seat at the edge of the mattress, covering her face with her hands and taking deep breaths. Solis stood, shifting his weight from foot to foot as he mulled over what he had just heard. “W-What was that guy talking about?” 

Oriana sighed shakily, sitting up fully to face her son as she ran shaking fingers through knotted hair. “Come sit down, Solis. I have a lot to tell you.” It all came out then, the king, what happened that night, why Regis was even there in the first place. And, as the story unfolded, one question came to the forefront of Solis’ mind.

“Was I a mistake?” he asked quietly, once his mother had finished her tale. Oriana was stunned at first, taking in the words her son had just uttered and replaying them over and over in her head. He actually said that. She closed her eyes and quietly composed herself, collecting words in her mind to form the most suitable sentence. 

“When you were conceived, I wasn’t expecting it,” she began, “and when I went to matron about it, I was terrified.” Solis’ head bowed at that, a look of utter shame coming across his countenance. “But,” Oriana continued, “when I held you the first time, and you made yourself known with those powerful lungs of yours, I knew you weren’t a mistake; you were mine. My precious baby boy; my son.” 

Oriana kissed the crown of Solis’ head as the boy wrapped his arms around his mother. King Regis was his father. The same man who came to Tenebrae countless times was his dad; the man who catted amicably with him at tea was his other parent. Now he understood why the man had been so interested in what Solis was doing; he wanted to get to know him better. The man knew about Solis most likely way before Solis knew about him. 

Fedora-hat man’s parting words played over in his head. What consequences would come from them not acting normal and going about their duties? Now that Solis thought about it, he hadn’t seen any of the other servants about the castle. He certainly hadn’t heard Cook bossing his underlings around in the kitchen, the man could be heard three corridors away.

A sense of fear and dread collected like a large stone in the pit of his stomach, sitting there and causing discomfort to the boy as he shuffled by his mother’s side. It had felt too easy; how quickly the queen had been taken down, how easily Regis had slipped away when perhaps he and Noctis were the reason the Empire were there in the first place. 

He fell asleep mulling that thought in his mind, dreams filled with a red clawed demon and a black suited shadow going toe to toe within the castle’s corridors. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello, hello again! 
> 
> I honestly didn't expect the amount of feedback I got thank you so much! <333  
> This chapter was difficult to write as I've never seen Kingsglaive (apart from the first few minutes - sue me) but I hope it's good enough to pass. I actually really love writing Ardyn but I have to stop every few things he's said and go "Is this evil enough for him to say? Would he even say this?" Ah the joys of writing slimy characters. But I hope you enjoyed! And thank you Lady for Betaing this chapter! You da best ;)


	3. Years pass

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lesson in magic and politics.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had such fun writing this chapter! I didn't really like how little we got of Ravus so I hope my way of writing him is satisfactory. When I played the game for the first time I was really disappointed with the little we got of Luna and Ravus' sibling bond so I'm remedying that with this story. Actually I'm fixing a lot of things. And messing with loads! Hope you enjoy guys! <333

“Concentrate,” his tutor muttered as he knelt before him with his hands clenching his thighs. Solis always found him so strange, but at fifteen he knew not to giggle. He’d get the stick if he so much as snorted during the tutor’s class.

The man was old, maybe fifty and had arrived at the manor a few weeks after the occupation. He was grey haired and proper and did not accept any mistakes during his lessons; Solis had the red sores on his hands to prove it. Solis never learned his name; it was one that you heard and then forgot a few moments later. His tutor also did not approve of the Oracle and her Acolyte “frolicking in the gardens” as he put it.

 Solis had heard him complain to Fedora-hat man – who he now knew was called Ardyn. His idea of keeping them separate was shot down quickly however after Ardyn had explained that their magic would only grow stronger in the presence of each other. That implication had always seemed too easy to pull out for Solis, but he hadn’t a chance to think it over as his tutor had briskly left Ardyn’s small study.

“Focus on your core,” his tutor murmured, and Solis shook his head slightly, shifting his attention back to the lesson at hand. He always found that sentence strange; how could he concentrate on something that wasn’t there? He was used to imagining his magic as a ball of blue light coloured like the sky. He’d imagine it was slightly cool to the touch and the same size as his fist, so he was able to hold it within the palm of his hand.

He pictured it, glowing in his hands and allowed his body to relax. It brought a sense of safety with it, and his breathing evened out, his heart rate slowed, and he calmed. He could feel his magic surround him now, a security blanket keeping him safe from the world. Solis grabbed hold of that feeling, clutching it with his fingers tight.

The boy was glowing now, a light blue aura surrounding him, turning him ethereal to the eye. On the other side of the room, a shadow stood, watching the lesson commence. Amber eyes stared intently at the Acolyte, brows furrowed and lips turned down unhappily. Ardyn didn’t like this, hadn’t planned for this. The boy could possibly create a hitch in his scheme and ruin his timing.

He couldn’t do anything about it now, and anyway, the boy was too weak to tell what he could do. Ardyn smirked as the aura flickered and failed, causing the boy to huff in annoyance. The man slunk away, towards the Emperor’s study. He knew that the boy would be trouble, how much trouble was hard to guess at this point in time.

Solis didn’t notice his audience, didn’t notice the door sliding shut as his tutor began to speak again. “That was held longer than last time. Although your stamina is improving we need to work on your connection,” the man said, standing from his kneeling position.

His eyes opened and watched as his tutor strode over to the desk in the corner of the room, scribbling in his notebook. Solis’ new room was quite small in size, although the boy didn’t really have much to put in it. His mother’s room was right next door, which is all that Solis had wanted initially. It had the necessities however, and that was enough for him in Solis’ opinion.

“We will be working on your Calling next week with Lady Lunafreya, so please learn your chants,” his tutor said exasperatedly. Solis grimaced at the thought of his last Calling session. A lot of botched pronunciation and mixed up chanting. Luna and Solis had laughed uproariously afterwards, the image of his tutor’s bright red face causing Solis to burst into laughter again.

“Yes sir,” Solis replied, standing up straight as he watched the man pack up his satchel. He swung the bag up onto his shoulder and headed for the door. He turned to the boy before leaving the room, hand holding onto the door knob.

“You have a lot of potential, Solis,” he said. “You just need to harness it.” The boy shut the door behind him once he left, sliding down the wood to sit on the floor. He drew his knees up to his chest, placing his forehead on top.

He always felt exhausted after using magic, drained and tired as if he’d ran a marathon around the manor. It surged deep within his bones and made his legs feel like jelly. He would collapse if he walked even to the bed after he practised magic. He had found that out the hard way a few months after the occupation, ending up face down on the floor and resulting in a broken nose.

A soft knock on the door behind him drew his attention and he shuffled to the wall beside the door. The knob was turned gently, and Luna stuck her head into the room. The girl had grown in the three years they had been stuck in the manor. Her hair had grown longer too, reaching the small of her back. She’d taken to tying it up and sometimes let Solis braid it for her.

She sat by the boy, drawing her legs up to rest her chin on her knees. “I saw Mr Tiliputh strut past. Was your lesson alright?” she asked him politely and giggled when Solis slapped the palm of his hand to his forehead.

“That’s his name! Wait. That’s his name?!” he cried incredulously, desperately trying not to laugh. “I feel sorry for the guy now.” He chuckled, calming down slightly. “He’s as stuck up as he was last week, so nothing else was new.”

“Were you able to keep going for longer?” Luna asked him, and Solis gestured to his legs now splayed in front of him.

“I can barely move, so yes, I did,” he replied bitterly, a frown pulling down his fair eyebrows and his mouth. Luna knew she was stepping into dangerous territory. Solis’ magic was one that the two of them couldn’t talk lightly about. It caused the boy great discomfort and sometimes pissed him off. So, sensing the tension the Oracle changed the subject.

“Ravus visited yesterday afternoon,” she said nonchalantly. Solis’ head snapped up in interest, taking in Luna’s torn expression. “He’s joined the Empire’s ranks, and seems hell bent on taking revenge for mother,” she began, shuffling in her seated position. “He said he wanted to _hurt_ King Regis for his actions that day, and I fear he has begun to walk a path that seems very dark.”

“I’ll talk to him,” Solis said, placing a hand on her thigh. “I may not be able to get through to him, but I will try. He’ll listen to me at least.” At least, Solis hoped he would. He hadn’t had a proper talk with Ravus since a few weeks prior, and even then half of the conversation was a whispered argument over the Emperor staying in the manor.

Solis had been Ravus’ greatest confidant during the aftermath of the occupation. Oriana might’ve been the one to patch up the small injuries the boy had suffered, but, Solis had been the one to hug him when the teenager broke down over the death of his mother. He’d been there when the prince had steamed over the Emperor’s actions over his people.

Solis had been there when Ravus almost broke a window over how the Emperor was treating his sister; like a caged bird only used to sing and kept locked away. So yes, Solis had been a great friend to the prince, he just hoped that still rang true.

“I hope so,” Luna replied, laying her head upon Solis’ shoulder. The two of them stayed like that for a while, until Solis’ legs didn’t feel as if they’d buckle after taking one step. He always found that if someone was there beside him to entertain while he recovered, the time passed quickly, and it wasn’t long until he was back on his feet again.

“The Emperor called for us to adjourn to the throne room when you were finished with your lesson,” Luna said, waiting as Solis pulled off his light training shirt. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion, tugging on a pair of boots.

“Me as well?” he asked, standing up straight to face Luna.

“Yes, he’s called all the servants too,” she replied, and Solis grabbed his belt from the end of his bed. If the Emperor was calling everyone, it was obvious how important this announcement was.

The two of them vacated his room quickly and began to head for the throne room, taking the servants corridors to shorten their travel time. Luna knew the halls as well as Solis did, the two of them spending many a time racing away from Cook or the bell boys with food clutched in their hands. They didn’t have pay attention to where they were going before they arrived at the throne room swiftly.

Oriana was there already, back straight and hands held in front of her. Solis took his place beside her, facing the throne in front of him as Luna stood beside Ravus. The boy looked different from when Solis last saw him; hair longer and muscles slightly more defined. He held himself with a sort of grandeur as his attention homed in on the Emperor.

The old man sat himself upon his glorified golden chair which had replaced Sylva’s simple wooden one. His gaze combed through all of them, servants bowing their heads in terror and guards standing to attention.

“I will be returning to Gralea in a days’ time,” he began, his quiet voice filling the great hall. Solis kept an eye on Ardyn behind the throne, watching as the man’s mouth twitched with a smirk. “You are all to maintain the manor while I’m gone.” He tapped his fingers against the thrones armrest, casting his gaze over them again.

“When I return, there will be some _changes_ made to the staffing,” he said, voice lowering dangerously as his words set them all on edge. He had them in the palm of his hand, and he knew it, loved it even.

Solis had never felt so much hatred for a man until that moment, heat burning in his stomach as he glared at the man sitting on a throne that wasn’t his. Oriana placed her hand upon his shoulder, holding him firm in a tight grip. His hands clenched into fists and he waited until the Emperor dismissed them to let out a sigh of relief, shoulders slumping.

He quickly made his way over to Luna, noticing Ravus right next to her. He’d grown taller since Solis had last seen him, the younger boy having to crane his neck slightly to look the prince in the eye as the top of his head reached the prince’s chin. Ravus’ grey eyes seemed colder, harder than Solis expected, and the boy realised he was wearing Niflheim’s colours, standing tall and proud as if the colours were his own.

“Solis. It has been a while,” Ravus said formally. Solis jolted out of his thoughts quickly, stuttering slightly to answer.

“Yeah, it has,” he said, “last I saw you was when Delia pushed us out of the council room.” Solis giggled, watching as Ravus’ mouth twitched with a smile. Luna glanced between them happily, glad her brother was opening up slightly.

“That had been quite the endeavour,” Ravus said.

“Well, we were eavesdropping, so I was expecting a harsher punishment honestly,” Solis replied and this time, the prince chuckled quietly. That had been the day before Ravus left the manor, three months prior to be exact. The two of them had wished to hear of what was going to become of Tenebrae, Ravus more so than Solis. In fact, the boy had only partaken to have a chance at pissing off the Emperor and/or Ardyn.

“How long are you staying?” Solis asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet nervously.

“A few days. I’m afraid I’ll be called back to my posting to complete some training soon,” Ravus replied, and Luna’s head bowed in disappointment. Ravus seemed to notice this, casting his gaze upon his little sister. A looked crossed over his grey eyes, lonely and sad as if he seemed to not want to leave.

“What if you stayed a bit longer?” Solis asked, feeling as if he was walking through a mine field at this point.

At that, the prince’s shoulders snapped back, and his brows pulled down into a frown. “Now why would I do that? I’d be removed from the army and lose my place in the Emperor’s good graces,” he said, facial features becoming closed off and posture growing long and tall. Solis was losing him, and he knew it.

Luna glanced uneasily between the two of them. “He didn’t mean it in such a trivial way brother. We both thought it would be nice for us to be able to see you for longer than a few days every two months before you have to leave again.” Luna stepped up beside Solis, standing ground with him.

The two of them watched as Ravus’ suddenly closed them off completely, frowning fully now and shouldering past them. He strode through the throne room and out to the corridor, passing by Oriana on the way out. Solis bowed his head and sighed in disappointment. The bond he had with Ravus was gone, that he was sure about as he watched the prince’s retreating back.

Oriana came up beside the two dejected teens, all frowns and turned down mouths. She carded her fingers through Solis’ blond hair, noting how long it was getting; it needed a cut, while pulling Luna to her side for a hug. “He’s stubborn, that one,” she commented as they watched Ravus turn a corner.

“He’s like a stubborn cat,” Solis said indignantly, causing Luna to giggle.

Oriana sighed, placing her hand at the nape of Solis’ neck and turning his head to look at her. “Leave Ravus to me, I’ll see to it that he gets his head back on straight,” she told them both, watching as they gave each other a side-eye in doubt. “You doubt my motherly instincts?” she said incredulously.

“To be honest mum, you’re not the best at getting me to talk,” Solis said. “How’re you going to get a grumpy revengeful nineteen year old to spill his guts to a woman he’s only know to give him hot milk?”

Oriana scoffed and flicked her hair back jokingly. “I have my ways,” she replied, inspecting her nails. The other two teens chuckled at her actions, but little did they know that she had a plan for getting Ravus to say what was on his mind. She’d been able to get that boy to talk to her about anything when he was younger, she could most certainly do it now.


	4. Actions have Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oriana talks to Ravus, Solis makes a new 'friend, and an Ascension occurs.

Oriana followed Ravus through the corridors of the manor, always a few steps behind. She watched as his shoulders slumped over the further they got from the throne room. His robes seemed so heavy on him now, as if they were dragging along the floor behind him. 

He finally stopped outside of his quarters, spinning around abruptly and catching Oriana off guard. The woman jumped as Ravus stalked towards her, ending up a few feet away. He’d grown since the last time she saw him, almost half a head taller now. 

“There must be a suitable reason as to why you followed me,” he began, brows furrowing in annoyance. 

“We need to talk,” Oriana replied, immediately getting to the point. 

The prince recoiled slightly at her bluntness, his lips now down turning also. He looked as if he didn’t want to talk, and yet Oriana strode right by him, pulling open the door to his chambers and gesturing him inside. He went in without complaint. 

Oriana took a seat on the desk chair by the door, and Ravus sat on his window seat to her right. He kept a wary eye on her as she took in his straight back and serious face. He didn’t like it, the way she seemed to be staring right through him. 

“I’ve heard you’re doing well in your training,” she began, startling the prince slightly. 

“Yes, it has been a very, educational experience,” he replied, folding his hands in his lap calmly. He had no idea where this conversation should go and aimed to keep his guard up in case they had unwanted listeners outside the door. 

“Solis tells me that he tried to talk to you about your training. Something about you spending longer away from the manor than usual?” she said slyly, watching as Ravus shuffled in his seat. 

“Told me off, more like,” he muttered under his breath. 

“Is there a reason why you’ve been keeping your distance?” Oriana broached tentatively. “Memories, perhaps?” 

Ravus’ grey eyes snapped up to her angrily, mouth opening to deny her claim. But, at the look she was giving him, one so sympathetic and kind, his words shot back down his throat and into his stomach. She sighed suddenly and stood to her feet. 

“There’s a saying you may know,” Oriana said as she came to stand beside Ravus. “Actions have consequences.” She took a seat beside him, turning to look him in the eye. 

“By spending more time with Niflheim’s troops you lose sight of what the war is about, you side with the enemy. By leaving your sister behind, you deny her the chance to overcome the grief of losing your mother together. By walking the path you tread now, you threaten the chance of having a proper relationship with your sister,” she said, emerald green eyes piercing his soul again.

He could feel his resolve crack, mask crumbling slightly and slipping through his fingertips. 

“I understand that what you are doing is for vengeance,” she said, “but you don’t need it. If you continue to seek a path where you cause King Regis great pain, it will only be given back unto you accordingly.” 

Ravus cast his eyes to his boots, and for the first time in five years, tears began welling up in his eyes. His mask broke and his resolve crumbled into dust, leaving behind a broken teenager. 

“You will only be causing yourself grief, not content,” Oriana told him softly as he sniffled. She grabbed hold of the back of Ravus’ neck, pulling his forehead to hers to draw them close. 

The prince cried then, wholehearted sobs that wracked his body, and scored a hole in his chest. He wrapped his arms around Oriana’s neck, burying his head in her shoulder for comfort. All the while, the woman shushed him, gently rocking the two of them side to side.  

 

It didn’t change immediately. Ravus still closed up at times, hurrying to find Oriana when he needed and keeping Luna and Solis at the end of a ten foot pole when they became too much. When the order came for him to return to his posting, he politely declined, sending the letter back with an apology. He didn’t even flinch at the angry reply he received.

Luna and Solis had both smiled so wide it looked as if it would split their faces in two. 

It took a few weeks for Ravus to open up once again, the prince spending that time with his sister as much as he could. The Emperor had returned by then, frowning slightly at the sight of the prince but not questioning it as he wandered away with Ardyn behind. 

Luna seemed happier with her brother home, leading him around to her favourite haunts, talking for hours until the two of them were reduced to tears. Solis knew to keep his distance, allowing the two siblings to bond. He knew better than to distract them, the years lost between them achingly visible. 

He spent his time wandering the manor, helping out with chores where he could. He never went to the kitchen, knowing he would only get a wooden spoon thrown at his head if he even set foot over the threshold. He did, however, spend more time than usual in the gardens. He found he loved taking off his boots and walking barefoot through the grass, feeling the soil beneath his feet. 

His Acolyte training continued as well, the joint lessons with Luna becoming more frequent as they learned how to work as a team. He found the songs the hardest, the ancient language not quite rolling off his tongue as he’d have liked. They drained him the most too, and he couldn’t hold the tether for long enough, the thin line connecting Luna to him flickering intermittently as they sang in tandem. 

It was during these lessons he noticed the woman again. Always in dark clothing, eyes closed and face ethereally calm as she listened to their calling. She seemed to sway with the melody, moving back and forth gracefully. 

Solis stared at her as he and Luna continued their calling, the princesses aura growing stronger as he placed a hand on her shoulder. As planned, the two of them finished the calling together, Solis’ voice adding body to the high tones of Luna’s. Their tutor nodded, slyly wiping his eyes with his jacket sleeve and sniffing slightly before speaking. 

“Very good. Solis good timing with the connection, just be sure you maintain that flow of magic, yes?” he commented, seemingly way nicer than Solis’ tutor. The boy nodded and the man smiled in return, commenting to Luna about her pronunciation.

“The light grows strong in you,” a sudden soft voice whispered in the shell of his ear, and Solis jumped suddenly, startled. The woman stood beside him, standing regal and tall. Her eyes were still closed, and yet she seemed to pierce his soul with an unseen gaze. 

“O-Oh, thanks?” he replied, uncertain. The woman turned her gaze to Luna, who was still in deep conversation with her tutor. As he watched the princess, Solis noticed the colour around him was bleeding to white, and the woman stood out starkly, a black shadow against the brightness. 

“She will need your light, when her soul flickers, when the world seems black and her mission pointless,” she said, turning her head to look at the Oracle behind Solis, frozen in the aura of white. Solis frowned, whipping his head back and forth between the woman and Luna, taking a protective step sideways to cover her from the woman’s view. 

“Luna never falters in whatever she does. Why do you insinuate that she will now?” he asked, standing up straight and clenching his fists at his sides. 

The woman didn’t reply immediately, and the air around them grew cold. Solis shivered. “Convince her. Not everything must be done with sacrifice,” the woman said, bending slightly at the hip to be eye level with the teenager. “She must lean on others to complete her mission.” 

The wind picked up suddenly, and Solis wrapped his arms around himself. He felt as if the wind were freezing his extremities, sinking into his bones and seizing up his muscles. 

“She will understand, make her see that her mission will only bring pain and grief to others, she must change it. Find an alternate path,” the woman said, and Solis watched as she stepped towards him, caressing his face in soft, cold hands. 

She gazed into his eyes intently, her lids now open and exposing her brown orbs. “Caller of the gods, son of Lucis, you must change what is to come. Pain, sorrow and hardship will face you on this path, but you will persevere,” she said, and Solis’ breath came out in stutters. 

“I will watch from afar, call on me in times of great need,” she said, placing her hand on his chest. He expected something to happen, a cold weight, a burst of power but nothing happened. He gazed into the woman’s eyes and nodded determinedly. A kind smile graced her lips and she disappeared, the colours of the world bleeding back into view. 

The world started again, and Solis could hear Luna and her tutor talking behind him. “Alright, I believe that will be enough today. I will bid you good day.” The man was brisk and short, turning and striding towards the door abruptly. 

“Huh,” Solis said once the tutor had disappeared beyond the door, “who lit a fire under his ass?” The two of them chortled for a few seconds before the words the woman said began rolling in Solis’ head. “Who was that woman who was here before?” 

Luna turned to him, bouncing on the balls of her feet slightly. “Her name is Gentiana, she was here when mother died,” she replied, and made her way to his side. “She said she was a guide for the Oracle, there to give council and aid in anyway she can. Mother didn’t tell me about her, so I was surprised when she turned up so suddenly. Why?” 

Solis contemplated telling her for a few seconds, biting his lip and fiddling with his fingers. Telling her would mean she’d know what was potentially awaiting her. Not telling her would mean he’d have to work quietly and on his own. He sighed, opening and closing his mouth, uncertain of what to do. 

“I just, had a talk with her. Couldn’t remember her name,” he said finally, furrowing down at his fingers. Whatever would happen to Luna and himself if they continued the way they were sounded terrifying to Solis, and he knew Luna would panic also if he told her.  

Luna glanced at him pensively, raising her eyebrows slightly in confusion. She shook it off however, and lay down on her bed, dragging Solis along with her. The canopy lay above them as they talked quietly, aware that the guards outside Luna’s door could be listening. 

That wasn’t the only time Gentiana visited. It was sometimes during the Calling lessons, when the song was at its apex and when Solis felt as if he would run out of air. The world would bleed to white again, and Solis would groan in annoyance. 

“You do realise I need to practise, right?” he would usually say, earning an amused smile from the woman. Then, she’d be incredibly vague on whatever piece of information she felt inclined to give Solis that day. He’d stand and listen, not interrupting in case she held his face again with her cold hands. 

He hadn’t asked how she knew he was Regis's son, assuming she was an all-knowing messenger perhaps? No one in the castle bar his mother and Ardyn (he always shuddered at the thought) knew about his heritage, and he wanted to keep it that way. 

The time she had turned up when he was training with Ravus – which the prince grudgingly agreed to after weeks of whining and begging – he almost punched her. He’d stopped his hand just in time however and had sworn colourfully for it. “Really?!” he shouted. “Now what?!” 

She wasn’t smiling now, lips set determined and fierce. “Your Ascension approaches. You must be ready,” she told him, and he rolled his eyes, way past being polite. 

“Don’t you think I already know that? I’m tearing my hair out with stress here, and you popping up everywhere isn’t helping,” he said, pointing his finger at her accusingly. He snorted at the awkward position Ravus had been frozen in; one eye almost winking as the man was in the middle of blinking, and mouth open as if he was still yelling at Solis. 

“I know I need to protect her. I know I need to plan for something big but let me have these last few days without you giving me a heart attack with your surprise visits,” he said, running his hands through his hair. There was no reply, only the colour returning and Ravus shouting in his ear. 

Gentiana didn’t turn up for the next few days, and most if not everyone in the castle were “running around like headless chickens,” as Oriana would often say. Decorations were put up, flower garlands were made, and Solis was tugged into many tailoring sessions to ensure his Acolyte robes fit properly. 

He didn’t see much of Luna during that time, being shoved around by many councilmen and women to one room or another. The Ascension ceremony was a big thing in Tenebrae, and for the first time it was being televised across Eos. 

“Good for publicity,” Ardyn had said to the emperor. He had looked sly when he said it, bending at the hip to reach the man’s ear. 

Solis wasn’t complaining though, it meant other countries could possibly see what was going on in their country and aid them. He wasn’t nervous, he and Luna only had to walk up a blue carpet, up the big steps at the front of the manor and Call on the gods together. Luna would make a speech while he stood to the side and then they’d be herded off the stage once again. 

His mother was the same, and he thought they were the only two people in the manor who weren’t especially bothered by the ceremony. Sure, Solis had a lot to worry about. Would he trip on the way up the stairs? Would he forget his words during the Call and mess it up for everyone? Would he fiddle with his staff too much and send it clattering to the floor? 

He would shake his head free of those thoughts when they’d come and concentrate on the task at hand. The days flew by, Solis and Luna’s seventeenth birthday came and went with no fuss, just a tart from Cook and a birthday hug from Oriana for both of them. 

“Are you ready?” Oriana asked as she smoothed down the lapel on Solis’ right side. His robes were a simple suit and long coat, white with gold accents. He had butterflies living in his stomach and gel in his hair, tied up in a ponytail and away from his face. He wouldn’t be surprised if one of the servants came towards him with make-up at this point. 

“As I’ll ever be,” he sighed, keeping his breathing regular and not allowing his nerves to get the best of him. His mother gazed into his blue eyes, her own filled with pride for her son. He’d come so far from the little kid who caused havoc in the manor, standing tall as a soldier about to run onto a battlefield. 

“You’ll do fine,” she said, pulling him in for a hug. “Just, don’t forget your words. And don’t look at the cameras, that’ll just make it worse.” She ran gentle circles over his shoulders, feeling them relax slightly from their tense position. 

“That’s what I’m worried about,” he murmured. 

“What?” Oriana asked, pulling away to get a good look at him. 

“That I’ll mess up as an Acolyte, that Luna will die under my protection! Or that none of the gods will answer because of me,” he exclaimed, hands clenched at his sides and eyes sparkling slightly with tears. 

“Hey,” Oriana said gently, clasping his hands with hers. “You will be a great Acolyte. You’ve protected Luna so far, and I’ve seen how close you two are, you could almost pass to be her brother. And don’t worry about the gods, they’ve a mind and agenda of their own. Whatever happens, happens, but you’ll be great.” She kissed his forehead lovingly, brushing back the baby hairs that were already coming away from the gel. 

The blue carpet looked very intimidating as Luna and Solis began to make their way slowly up to the steps. Cameras remained firmly on them, and the crowd were completely silent. The atmosphere felt tense, and the people sombre, watching their new Oracle take her mother’s place. It wasn’t exactly a happy occasion, but Solis didn’t dare turn his head away from where he had it locked on the podium. 

His staff and Luna’s trident gently thumped against the floor as they walked with them, both intricately decorative, and equally dangerous. The Oracle herself was dressed in white, like Solis. The dress trailed along the floor in a train and her hair was piled neatly atop her head. He wished, for what felt like the hundredth time, that he could talk to her. Even just quietly. But amber eyes trained on his person prevented him from doing so. 

The steps loomed above him too quickly, and the two of them made their way up and up and up. Solis was surprised to see so many people, civilians packed shoulder to shoulder, little kids hoisted onto their parents sides. 

The two of them gracefully turned to the crowd, faces serene and movements graceful – although Solis was screaming in his head to not trip over his own toes. Luna glanced towards him, facial expression determined and grip tight on her trident. Solis nodded slowly, bending his chin to his chest and lifting it back up again. 

He closed his eyes, blocking out the insistent stares of the public and the winking of the cameras, and focused. He concentrated on his core, grasping it, holding it, connecting with it. He thought about the Call, the words forming on his tongue and he was surrounded by a light blue aura. 

They didn’t need a cue, the two of them began singing in tandem. Their melodies intertwined with one another, harmonies soaring, melodies sure, sending shivers through the crowd. Solis thought about the Asltral’s, could feel the words changing and flowing effortlessly as he and Luna Called for them. 

The melody was swelling towards its climax, going up and up and their auras now blindingly bright, causing the crowd to have to look away. Amber eyes focused intently on the two of them, watching as a silhouette took shape in front of them. Solis didn’t notice, but could feel the temperature between the two of them drop slightly. Hands caressed his cheeks tenderly, smoothing away the tears that were gradually trailing down his cheeks. 

He could feel the melody gradually coming to a natural close, getting softer, the words disappearing from his tongue until he felt he couldn’t remember them anymore. He felt, whole somehow. As if a purpose had been achieved. It felt warm and fuzzy and sat in the middle of his chest. 

Luna breathed a sigh beside him, stepping up to the podium to address the public. The two of them were still glowing slightly, and Solis could imagine how ethereal the two of them must seem. He felt tired from that ordeal, but he knew he could stand and listen to Luna speak. 

“It is with great pride I stand before you today, as your Oracle,” Luna said, and finally the crowd cheered, a ripple of sound that filled the large courtyard. 

“However, I do not stand before you as a free citizen,” she continued once they’d quieted, and a murmur bubbled among the people. Solis frowned in confusion, taking a slight step forward. 

“Tenebrae has been smothered by the power of the Empire.” Her voice was raising, and Solis could see the Emperor begin to rise from his seat. “We’ve been treated unfairly, and the Empire has no right to keep our land for themselves.” Solis was getting concerned now, slowly making his way to Luna while keeping an eye on the approaching soldiers. 

“We deserve to be free, we deserve to have our own country. And, as your guiding light, I promise I will give you your country back,” she exclaimed, leaning forward slightly to reach the microphone. 

The Emperor was beside himself with rage now, and the crowd was going nuts, angry and shouting encouragement to their Oracle. Solis was astounded, attempting to spot Ravus or his mother to help get Luna away from here without harm. He could see neither of them. 

“We do not deserve to be suffocated, and by the gods themselves, I promise we will be free again!” Luna finished, and the crowd screamed in agreement. Solis dashed forwards at the first sighting of a soldier, pulling Luna off the stage and attempting to run. 

They were stopped however, easily surrounded by all sides and Solis placed Luna behind him. 

“Do you know what you’ve done?” the Emperor spat, the sounds of the rioting crowd immense. “I don’t know what you were aiming to achieve, but I hope you like the sight of four walls, because you will not be leaving this manor.” 

“Like we were allowed to anyway?” Solis sassed as the emperor turned away, and the old man stalked back, swinging his left arm and slapping Solis on his cheek. The boy fell back on his ass and Luna shouted, crouching down beside him. 

“Be thankful I’m being merciful, and not sending both of you straight to Gralea,” he growled, and stalked away. Ardyn smirked at the two of them before following, and Luna and Solis were dragged away. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh boy, that one was a big'un. But things are starting to pick up now which is good! And I'll personally slap that old prune in the face if he hurts ma baby again!   
> Next chapter is a good one, and thank you for all the lovely comments and kudos' I've been getting! They're greatly appreciated! <333


	5. Sugar, Spice and All things Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The results of Luna's speech comes to light. And Noctis is pissed he can't do anything.

Solis was unceremoniously tossed into his room not twenty minutes after the Ascension. If it had been ten minutes before, he would’ve face planted onto the tiled floor due to exhaustion. Now, he threw himself at the door as it closed, slamming his fists at the wood.

“Hey! Hey!” he shouted, attempting to get anyone’s attention. His foot connected with the door next as he gave it a solid kick, the wood rattling on its hinges. Why was he being thrown into his room if he had nothing to do with what happened? He felt confused and slightly betrayed that Luna hadn’t bothered to warn him beforehand of what she was planning to do.

The enraged teenager paced up and down the length of his bedroom, counting his steps to keep his anger down if only slightly. He waited, what for he didn’t know. And explanation, perhaps? A visitor, maybe? Someone to tell him what to do? Definitely.

He finally flopped down on his bed sheets, hands lightly clenched in his lap. Now that he noticed it, his magic seemed calmer – at least calmer than the rest of his body. It swirled gently in his bones, and when Solis closed his eyes, he could picture it clearer, the light blue burning into his eyelids.

He was an official Acolyte now, although he didn’t feel very happy or accomplished about it. The thought of the emperor’s enraged face turning red caused the anger to bubble up again, and Solis breathed in through his nose, and out through his mouth.

The door swung open abruptly, and Solis jumped to his feet. White robes and silver hair got his attention and he made his way towards Ravus. “What in the actual fuck is going on?!” he exclaimed, getting a gloved hand shoved over his mouth in return. He struggled, pulling on Ravus’ hand.

Ravus kept a firm grip, however. His grey eyes locked onto the door, and he waited for it to click shut. He leaned forward. “A few council members are on our side,” he whispered into the shell of his ear. “We have some hundred men from the refugee ranks in the infantry.”

“Wait, we?!” Solis whispered back, bordering on shouting again. “You make this sound as if there’s way more than just a handful of people fighting.”

“With what Luna did today, we’re hoping there will be. She sent the Empire into a frenzy, and soon Tenebrae will be on lockdown. That’s what we want.”

Solis furrowed his eyebrows in bewilderment. “So, you  _ want  _ the whole country to be locked out from the rest of the world?!” he exclaimed, and the glove slammed back down over his mouth.

“Keep it  _ down _ ! Of course that’s not what I want, I already have men on their way to Lucis with a meeting planned with the king as we speak,” Ravus hissed.

“Oh, and what’s the king gonna do, come out from hiding behind his magic wall and magically aid a country he already abandoned?” Solis bit back once he pried Ravus’ hand from his mouth.

Ravus stalled at that, brows furrowed, and mouth set in a thin line. “I don’t know, whatever it is, it has to be done fast. I’m not sure how much longer I can keep the emperor off my tail.”

Solis calmed slightly, finally noticing how distraught Ravus seemed to be about this. The bend in his shoulders, dark bags under his eyes and the frown lines that now seemed constant upon his forehead. “Why didn’t you tell me about this sooner? You know you can trust me, right?”

Ravus gave a deep sigh and pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose. “I do know that. But, at that moment the less people knew about what we were planning, the better.” The prince glanced up at Solis, gaging his understanding, yet confused facial expression.

“I will try to get the emperor to let you two out of your rooms. Until then, please, don’t make any fuss,” Ravus compromised, gripping the smaller teens shoulders. Solis nodded reluctantly, slowly. He didn’t like it, and as much as he wanted to kick and scream and run up to the emperor and slap  _ him  _ across the face, Solis knew this was as good as it would get.

The Ascension had been televised across all of Eos. Some would say the Empire used it as a way to show that they weren’t the tyrants the press made them out to be. Others simply spat on it and didn’t turn on their tv’s the whole day.

One prince of Lucis, immediately grabbed the remote when the clock hit two and switched it to the Lucis news network. He could see Luna immediately. Spotted her blonde hair and the white dress she wore. His blue eyes darted over her, attempting to see any injury or exhaustion that the Empire caused. The makeup she wore was too thick, and Noctis's eyes darted to the left side of the Oracle.

A white suit, robes with gold accents caught his eye, and Noctis almost choked on his sandwich.

_ He’s grown taller than the last time you saw him—  _ he was almost half a head taller than the Oracle beside him. Shoulders broad and posture straight.

_ He’s lost a lot of his baby fat— _ his jaw was strong and defined, blue eyes staring straight ahead, fixated on a point in front of him.

_ You should see him, Noctis. He’s getting stronger every day— _ the prince violently shook his head, the intruding thoughts fluttering away from his brain, like a flock of birds. Solis had definitely grown up. Noctis felt as though he wouldn’t have recognised him if it weren’t for the few out of focus photos Luna managed to send.

The two of them climbed to the top of the staircase, and Noctis marvelled at how elegant and in sync they were to each other. They moved like dancers, commanding the audience to watch them. He realised that the crowd hadn’t made a single noise, and it gave the atmosphere an eerie sense.

Noctis lost himself to the Calling, his eyes closing gently and body swaying slightly. He was glad no one was there to watch as his breathing evened, and he calmed, sitting and enjoying the music that washed over his mind and body. He could feel his magic stirring and flowing with the song, not exactly coming to the surface but bubbling underneath.

His eyes snapped open when he heard gasps emit from the tv. The platform had suddenly been covered in snow, and the Calling was swallowed by the sound of the whirling wind. The camera attempted to adjust and get a focus on the Oracle, but the wind and sudden icy change of weather covered them. Shivers ran up and down Noctis's spine and he kept his attention on the screen.

Something inexplicable clicked suddenly, and Noctis didn’t notice. But, he did notice the wash of a sickly sweet taste overwhelming his tongue. It was familiar, and he connected it with the tarts he used to love that he had in Tenebrae. He closed his eyes again and allowed himself to savour it, although his mind was alight with questions.

It ebbed away, and yet a light feeling within his chest remained. It felt like when he would connect with his dad during lessons, the magic slotting into his own comfortably. His brows furrowed in surprise and confusion but, before he could ponder on it more, the tv gained his attention once again.

Luna was speaking loudly into the microphone, and Noctis could see the Imperial guards becoming more and more agitated. Solis seemed confused from his position behind the Oracle, glancing from Luna to somewhere in the distance and inching slowly towards her.

As Luna completed her speech, a commotion erupted from somewhere behind the camera and the soldiers all leapt up onto the stage. The camera cut out, and the network switched back to the news anchor, the woman sat stunned in her seat. Noctis too was stunned, glaring at the woman as if it was her fault he couldn’t watch more to see if his two best friends were alright. She jolted in her seat, cleared her throat and began to shift the attention to another news story.

Angry, Noctis turned off the tv and sprinted out of his room. He had to find his dad, had to ask him to  _ do  _ something. He couldn’t bare to just sit in the Citadel knowing that his best friends could be in danger or worse, already dead.

He threw the door to the king’s chambers open and marched over to where his father sat on the couch. “We have to do something,” the prince demanded, hands clenched into fists at his sides.

Regis sighed slightly before sitting forward. “Son, we already discussed this. We are unable to do anything. If I even  _ attempt  _ to send the Glaives out of Insomnia, Emperor Aldercapt will declare war and attempt to wipe out the rest of Lucis.”

“But they have Luna! And Solis! I can’t sit here and do  _ nothing _ !” Noctis shouted.

“Well, son, I apologise but that is what you’re going to have to do. Because it will be the same the next time a country falls to the mass of the Empire,” Regis said, quietly.

Noctis stopped, glancing at his father. He looked tired, as if the whole world was leaning on his shoulders. And Noctis knew he was acting like a brat, but he hated the feeling of people getting hurt and not being able to do anything to help. It ate away at his very core, like a virus taking over his immune system.

“I’m meeting with the council this week. I will discuss with them any plan we can come up with to bring the Oracle and Acolyte under our care,” Regis compromised, and Noctis glared at his feet. “That is all I can do at this point in time, Noctis. But, we must be patient, and have faith.” The prince nodded glumly, and slumped out of the room, tears gathering in his eyes as he went.

Solis was shoved unceremoniously into one of the manor’s many spare rooms. Not five minutes later, Luna was tossed in after him. “Hey!” Solis yelled as the guards slammed the door shut. He bent and gently helped Luna to her feet, the Oracle dusting off her white dress.

“Are you alright?” Solis asked, frantically searching Luna for any injuries. She was doing the same, hands coming to rest finally on his shoulders.

“I’m alright, a bit shaken but otherwise fine,” she replied, pulling Solis in for a hug. The moment only lasted a second, the two of them clinging onto each other for comfort.

The door behind them opened once again, and the emperor strode in. Ardyn followed behind, looking every bit of the cat who got the cream. His amber eyes tracked the Oracle and Acolyte’s movements as Solis placed Luna behind his back. “Well, well. The pair of the hour,” he purred, sending shivers up Solis’ spine.

“I can take care of this myself, Ardyn,” the emperor snapped, and the man behind him scowled, the utter look of annoyance that crossed over his face reminding Solis of a grumpy behemoth. “You are aware of the consequences your actions will have, yes?” the emperor asked, tilting his head in question. “And you must realise that your little speech didn’t give much rise to anything, so you are only causing pain for yourselves.”

Luna grabbed hold of Solis’ right hand, and the Acolyte squeezed it in reassurance.

The emperor smirked suddenly, eyebrows drawing up towards his hairline in smug achievement. “We found your, what shall we call them? Ambassadors? Making their way towards the border.”

Both Luna and Solis gulped in fright, watching as the emperor inched towards them. “I saw no reason to let them get any further, and if they were killed now, that would be your so called rebellion gone in a flash,” he said, beginning to circle them almost.

Solis’ palms were sweating now, his heart thumping in his ears. He kept a tight hold on Luna, turning so that his chest faced the emperor at all times. “Although, they did have a small usage,” the emperor said, coyly, watching for any kind of reaction from the two. “It’s almost pitiful what a human being is willing to give up when faced with the barrel of a gun.”

The emperor was close to the door again now, and he leant towards the two of them, having to bend forward slightly to reach their height. “Say, the name of the  _ mastermind  _ behind this coup d’état?” the dictator smirked as Luna gasped in shock, Solis gritting his jaw tight.

“Bring him in,” the emperor commanded, and the sound of a commotion emanated from outside the room. The clanking of armour, the hissing of swears which would only bring a slap upside the head from his mother if Solis ever used them, and the stomping of heavy boots on the floor announced Prince Ravus’ arrival.

He was hauled in by two soldiers, dressed in his civilian robes, hair untamed and wild and a gag wrapped around his head. His grey eyes widened when he spotted the two teenagers, and his thrashing intensified. His shoulders bucked and elbows attempted to land blows against his captors’ stomach. But to no avail.

The emperor crouched beside him, taking his chin between his left forefinger and thumb. He used it to force Ravus to meet his eyes, a victorious smirk plastered across his face.

“Do you really think you could outsmart the Empire, outsmart  _ me _ ? Did you really believe sending Ambassadors to a king who can’t even protect his own  _ capital _ would save your country? It’s almost laughable,” the emperor sneered.

“I think you need a bit more training. Don’t you Ardyn?” the emperor asked, turning his attention to the man beside him as Ravus began to trash again.

Solis was now beside himself with fear, blue eyes darting from Ravus to Ardyn and back again. He didn’t like the look the man was giving the prince, a snake observing a mouse in its trap. Solis felt like he wanted to scream, punch something, kick Ardyn in the crotch grab Ravus and Luna and run to a deserted island in the sea.

But his feet stayed glued to the floor, and Ardyn smirked smugly as he took in the prince’s panicked expression. Solis gripped Luna’s hand tighter as the man leant forward. “Yes, I believe a few months should straighten him out, a year at most,” Ardyn practically purred, his amber gaze locked onto Ravus’ grey orbs.

Ravus scrambled and thrashed and Solis gritted his jaw. Luna buried her face in between Solis’ shoulder blades, refusing to look as her brother was carried bodily from the room. “You can’t do this!” Solis burst out as the door was about to shut.

Both the emperor and Ardyn halted, but the Chancellor was the one to turn around. The look he gave the Acolyte was enough to make Solis want to disappear, let the floor open up and swallow him whole. 

Ardyn stepped towards him, gaze holding Solis’ own blue orbs until the teenager had to crane his neck slightly to keep eye contact. Luna was still held safely behind his back, head still buried in his shoulder blades.

“Oh, can’t I?” Ardyn asked, softly, darkly and dangerously, asking for Solis to challenge him. The man didn’t touch him, but a wave of cold washed over Solis as he stared at the Chancellor. His visage flickered, eyes turning a brilliant gold, black tears trailing down his cheeks and—

The door slammed shut, and Solis took in a huge breath. The soldiers, Ardyn and the emperor were gone, and Solis continued to heave in massive gulps of air. He felt as if he’d stopped breathing.

“Solis?!” Luna’s voice called, and his gaze darted to her. Her hands, warm and soft, caressed his face gently. Her gaze skittered, looking for something.

“W-Wha’ h’ppened?” Solis slurred, slouching against Luna as his world spun around and around like a spinning top.

“You spaced out. Ardyn and the emperor took Ravus away,” Luna explained, leading Solis over to the bed and sitting him down upon the covers. “This wasn’t a good idea.” She sniffled, wiping her eyes and Solis leaned against her.

“It’ll be okay, we’ll get out of here, save Ravus and go live on an island.” Luna laughed wetly at that, using a sleeve to wipe away a stray tear. “Oh, by the way.”

“Yes?” she replied.

“Next time, cry on someone else’s shoulders. I’m gonna have to spend hours washing these out now.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Gasp* What's this! An early chapter! 
> 
> Yeah I'm going to a chamber music camp for a week and wont be close to my computer for that length of time. So it was either wait or post it now, and I don't think I could've waited. 
> 
> I hope you guys are enjoying where this story is going! And hopefully I'm effectively surprising you along the way! 
> 
> See you next time guys!


	6. Of meddling and fiddling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Solis discovers some secrets, and a plan is set in motion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a bit of a filler chapter, things star to kick start in the next one. But, more Sibling bonding for Solis and Luna for your pleasure! 
> 
> I'm also so pleased to be home, in my own bed and with hot showers thank you very much!   
> Enjoy guys!

The pages of Luna’s journal fluttered in the wind as she giggled at the newest note. Solis imitated the sound, putting it at a higher pitch and twiddling his fingers in front of his face. The Oracle shoved at his shoulder, causing the boy to fall over sideways onto the bench they sat upon.  

“Hey! No pushing the invalid,” he exclaimed, cradling the finger he had sliced with a page from his book. It was incredibly tiny, and yet Solis had a knack for making mountains out of things as small as mole hills.

“You’re not an invalid. And that finger cut is your own fault. You shouldn’t snatch for a ladies things,” Luna replied haughtily. She laughed again as Solis threw another pout her way, crossing his arms in annoyance. The gardens were especially beautiful today, and Oriana had been adamant with the Captain of the Niflheim guard to allow the two of them out.

She went as far as to threaten that she’d tell the emperor that they’re neglecting their ‘trump cards’ the necessities they needed. Fresh air for example. There was a small chance the emperor would do anything; he was the one to throw them in their rooms and lock the doors behind them.

The guards behind them shifted on their feet slightly, one clearing their throat and the joyous bubble around them popped. Oh, right. They were still under the emperor’s thumb, this was the first time in two weeks they’d been able to talk to each other properly, apart from the few times during cleansings where they were able to get two words in edgeways before they were shepherded back to their rooms.

The two of them dejectedly glanced at the ground, the atmosphere turning depressed. “I talked a bit more with Gentiana the other day,” Solis muttered, ensuring that his voice was quiet so the men behind them couldn’t hear him.

“Yes? And?” Luna asked just as quiet, fiddling with the cover of the journal in her hand.

“Either there wasn’t enough magic, or something else entirely, but I couldn’t hear or see her all that well. She did continuously tell me to get you out of here, which is a thing I’ve been dealing with since she started these little chats,” Solis explained, carding his fingers through Pryna’s fur, Umbra lying in the grass a few feet away.

“Do you think the Empire are planning something?” Luna wondered, glancing up from where she was pressing one of the sylleblossoms she picked into the pages of the diary.

“No,” Solis replied. “Not with the treaty signing almost right around the corner.” Although Solis wasn’t entirely sure of the authenticity of the document. He thought it was a scam for the king to allow the emperor into Insomnia. And that that was what the emperor wanted.

“Maybe that’s what Gentiana meant though. Perhaps she knows more about what’s about to happen than we do,” Luna said, fiddling with the flower in her fingers.

“Maybe, but then how does she expect us to get away from here? We’re meant to be collected within a few weeks,” Solis said, glancing behind him to check whether the guards were listening in. An escort had been arranged for the two of them to be brought to Insomnia, they’d be present for the signing, and then it would be back to the manor for them. To be shoved back in their rooms once again.

“Times up,” a harsh voice suddenly called from behind them, and they both leapt to their feet. Luna stuffed the journal into the pocket of her jacket, slipping the other sylleblossom she held behind her ear. Pryna and Umbra dashed into the shadows, watching as the two of them were escorted back to the manor.

“Can you sneak out tonight?” Solis asked softly, blue eyes flickering behind to glance at the two guards behind them.

“Yes, I have Quantas,” she murmured in return.

“Good, meet me in the Sanctum when the clock strikes thirteen,” Solis replied. It was their secret code, one they used when they thought someone was listening in. Luna nodded subtly, and the two of them stepped back into the shade of the manor’s foyer.

The two of them were lead back to their rooms, both at different ends of a long corridor. They hadn’t been allowed to keep their original rooms. “They’re too close together,” had been the Captain’s logic.

Most of the manor’s staffing had been let go. Some of them had disappeared completely, and no one asked of them. It was all changing, more soldiers were moving in, paintings were taken down and destroyed, every Tenebraen flag had been burned the first week after the Occupation and slowly, the colours of the Empire; red and white, were overtaking the light blue of Tenebrae.   

Solis glanced at the clock on his wall. An hour before he had to attempt to sneak out. He sighed and sat at his desk, pulling out a notebook from the stack on his left. The twenty three year old sifted through the pages, settling on a sketch and pulling out a pencil from the drawer beside him.

Solis found drawing a great way to free himself, to let himself drift and think while his hands mindlessly fluttered over the paper. He never considered himself a drawer much like others would say they’re a performer. He just liked drawing, and he was good enough that the end product didn’t look like a bunch of stick figures.

The slant of a nose formed, and Solis mind drifted in thought.

It had been a good week since Gentiana had attempted to talk to him, her voice coming through what sounded like static. Even when Solis concentrated it still wasn’t clear, although judging by the concern on her face – of which there was little besides the slight turndown of her mouth – Solis would guess that whatever she was telling him was bad.

Solis was scared. No, correction he was terrified. He hadn’t had that much experience as an Acolyte, seeing as he could count how many cleansings he’s done on both hands and still have enough to cuss out Ardyn.

How was he meant to be able to protect Luna from whatever would happen if he couldn’t even maintain a steady stream of magic to her?!

He paused in his drawing suddenly, taking deep breaths to calm his nerves. “It’s ok,” he said to himself, “that won’t happen for a while, you can still train.” He considered something, rolling his tongue in thought.

He needed to train, needed to improve his stamina. Solis leapt from his desk chair again, yanking a pillow from the bed and kneeling on the floor with it bellow his knees. He arranged himself comfortably – well, as comfortably as he could with his knees screaming at him. He folded his hands in his lap and bent his head towards them.

Breathing deeply, he concentrated.

Usually, he was never able to hold a steady stream of magic, either to his hands or around his body like an aura. It flickered and failed after a few minutes, and Solis would always end up with the feeling of a cold stone sitting in his gut. It annoyed him to no end when he compared it to Luna’s golden, warm, dependable magic.

His magic always felt cold, and harsh. Uncooperative and moody, like he was when he was in his teenage years. It would pull away his energy, sapping him quickly before he could comprehend what was happening. He never knew why it happened, and when he asked Gentiana, she said something vague about ‘the Connection’, and left it at that.

Solis concentrated, picturing the blue mass that made up his magic. Thinking of the cold indifference it brought, the heavy feeling it left on his body. It felt, timid this time, wasn’t coming as easily as Solis had hoped – although it was already a struggle to get any magic to work.

He clenched his hands tightly, scrunching up his brow in concentration as he imagined grabbing hold of the magic and yanking, hard. It came reluctantly, flowing to his hands and filling his mind with the feeling of cold. He knew magic wasn’t supposed to feel like this, had asked what Luna’s felt like and got a reply of “your favourite flavour in the world, your favourite smell, or the feeling of home.”

He never felt any of those things, but never said anything because whatever was wrong with him was bigger and more difficult to fix than just adding meditation classes to his tutoring. He suffered in the shadows, as his mum would say. She was the only one who knew what was going on with his magic, but never said a thing. Like he wanted. He already didn’t have a dad who was there, he didn’t need to be known as the Acolyte who couldn’t use magic.

He held that grip for as long as he could handle, which honestly was about five minutes. He unclenched his fists, glancing down at the moon shaped cuts he had and sighed. He needed to gain control over his magic. He needed to get better.

He needed to go outside and walk his anger off before meeting Luna.

He huffed and stood from his kneeling position on the floor, yanking his door open and slamming it shut loudly. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Solis stormed down the corridors of the manor, unaware of where his feet were leading him and having no care of where he ended up.

The manor was quiet at this time, the sun slowly dipping below the horizon. It cast long shadows across the floor, creating patterns and monsters which used to terrify Solis when he was a kid. Now a new type of monster terrified him, and he wore a fedora hat and smirked at anything that wasn’t amusing.

Solis scowled hard, thinking about the look on Ardyn’s face every time he saw him. He continued to storm down the corridors, his new purple combat boots echoing loudly. His blue ones had grown too small for him last year, cramping his toes and giving his feet blisters. These ones had been a present from Luna, and he wore them with pride almost every day, even if they didn’t go with his outfit.

Voices suddenly caught his attention. They echoed from around the corner. Solis ducked to press his back against the wall, heart suddenly thundering in his ears. He didn’t want to get caught; he’d be locked in his room for a month. And he’d miss the opportunity to go to Insomnia. He pressed his hand against his mouth to quieten his breathing.

“What else of the magitek production?” came the Captain’s voice.

“Sir, numbers are increasing each day. More and more soldiers are being built as we speak and the tests are all coming up positive,” someone else said, their voice tinny as if coming through the metal of a helmet.

“Good. Any word from Chancellor Ardyn?” the Captain asked suddenly, and Solis held completely still; he wanted to hear all of this.

“That’s why we came actually, sir,” the soldier began timidly. “He has a message for you to do with the border checks.”

“Well? Spit it out?!” came the bellowing voice of the Captain after a few moments of silence.

“He says to kill any Glaives who attempt to cross the border, even with identification or the correct visa,” came a second voice, confident and bold.

Solis’ brows furrowed and his eyes widened in surprise. What does Ardyn know that none of them did? And why kill Glaives if they haven’t done anything wrong?

“Did he give a reasoning to this order?” the Captain asked.

“Yes, he says its to ensure that the escorting of the Oracle and Acolyte are to be done by Imperial means only.” There was a moment of silence when Solis was able to roll that piece of information over in his mind. Only by Imperial means? Did that mean that the king was going to try to send someone over to help them?

“And why was Chancellor Ardyn able to tell me this himself?” the Captain snapped. Solis jumped in surprise at the sudden break in the silence.

“He was too busy with his new ‘toy’ according to Versatael,” came the second soldier’s voice and again, Solis’ eyes widened in surprise. Ravus. He was ok! He wasn’t dead! But with him in Ardyn’s grasp, he may very well soon be.

Solis inched himself along the wall slowly, heading back the way he came and sprinting down the next corridor in the direction of the Sanctum. He had to try to contact the king somehow, tell him Ardyn knew of his plans. He needed to tell him to send people in a team, and to not cross the border properly.  

He threw open the door to a large room, decorated with multiple tapestries which Solis payed no heed to. He’d seen them multiple times anyway. He briskly strode towards Luna, who stood in the middle gazing up at the artwork.

Her gaze connected to his and her brows furrowed at the look on his face. “What is it?” she asked. Solis stopped in front of her, gaining back his breath before lurching into an explanation of what he just heard. Slowly, Luna’s hands began to clench, and her brows dipped in anger.

“We need to send a message to King Regis, he needs to know that whichever Glaive he sent is in danger,” Solis finished, his hands flailing the whole way through his explanation. Luna shushed him suddenly, and the two of them listened as the thudding footsteps of Imperial soldiers pass the door and continue down the corridor.

“How do you suggest we do that? Any letter we send won’t arrive until next month, and even then it takes at least a few days to get here. By the time the letter gets there the Glaive would’ve left and been killed,” Luna asked, her mind immediately turning to the worst case scenario.

Solis pondered for a moment, biting his lip and twirling his short ponytail. Strands of it were coming free. He needed a haircut. What had they done today? Who could they trust to get the message to—

A metaphorical lightbulb went off in Solis’ imagination. “Umbra!” he exclaimed, and somehow the dog slunk out of the shadows at his name. Pryna wasn’t too far behind him.

“What about him?” Luna asked tiredly, sounding as stressed as Solis was a few moments ago.

“He gets your notebook to and from you and Noctis regularly and fairly quickly right?” Solis asked, and Luna’s eyes widened in realisation.

“Get me a pen,” she said, spurring Solis into action while Umbra and Pryna watched the two humans flitter around the room. They thought it was all very strange.


	7. Road Trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Essentially what's on the tin (chapter title).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is my fave chapter to date. Solis and Luna are such smol beans in this one I can't!!! Also this one isn't beta'd (yet) so excuse any discrepancies/stupid mistakes please and thank you! 
> 
> Also enjoy!

Solis was pacing again, travelling up and down the room while Luna watched. She was perched on the bed a few feet away, sighing every few seconds and glancing out the window. They’d asked whether they could spend some time doing Oracle and Acolyte training, and once again Oriana had to step in and threaten the Captain.

Solis hadn’t told her about the letter they got sent back, nor about the not they received a few days ago. He didn’t want to face the fact that he’d be leaving her behind when they inevitably left. She was prepared for it; they were meant to leave a few days from now. Although that was before plans changed and they got an elusive note in Luna’s notebook saying, “be ready.”

Be ready for what?! To jump out the window? To fight their way out of Tenebrae? To have a dance battle against the Emperor which Solis knew he would win? What?!

When they had sent back a note asking that question, they gained no reply and Umbra hadn’t been back since. So the two of them packed runaway bags filled with the essentials and stuffed underneath their beds.

They both stood now in one of the rooms at the back of the manor, bags by their feet and clothed in comfortable things they knew they would be able to run in. They had done this every night, just always with a different excuse. This was the first night they’d been able to stay together, rather than using random excuses they came up with themselves.

“Ok, when a person says be ready, that kind of eludes to the fact that they’d be coming to get you that night right?” Solis said again, swivelling on his purple boots and striding to the French window on the other side of the room.

“Yes, and that is now the second time you’ve said that Solis. And can you please sit down? You’re making me dizzy,” Luna replied exasperatedly, and Solis took a seat on the bed beside her, nervous energy now being placed into jiggling his foot up and down.

“I just don’t get it,” he muttered, and Luna sighed.

His hands rested on his black jeans, running up and down his thighs to wipe away the nervous sweat. His hoodie clung to his body closely, the fluffy material warm and cosy. “I mean how many men is King Regis going to send? What if they’ve been captured at the border? What if they’d been discovered by the Emperor and are being sent to Gralea like Ravus? What if—”

_Click_

Both Luna’s and Solis’ heads snapped towards the window, quiet as mice and attention on the glass.

_Click, click_

The two of them leapt to their feet, being careful of how much sound they made, and Luna unlatched the window. The two of them leaned out, glancing down to the ground below. A cool breeze gently swayed the trees outside, creating an eerie atmosphere as the two of them listened.

Rustling on the left hand side of the window and, when they turned to it, three figures crouched under the window on the bottom floor. From where the two of them stood, they could see masks covering their faces and hoods pulled over their heads.

Solis began to energetically poke Luna, as if she couldn’t see them herself. He gained a pinch in the side for his childishness. They watched as the three figures scuttled to the window below theirs, one pulling out a wicked looking knife and twirling it between their fingers.

A flash of blue light, and Luna pulled Solis with her as she backed away quickly from the window. Two of the three figures materialised, hands intertwined. The third hefted themselves over the windowsill, breathing heavy and laboured. Solis was left wondering how they got up from the ground.

The taller one made their way towards the two of them, letting their hood down to expose dark hair shaved at the sides, braids woven through dark locks. “Oracle, Acolyte,” the figure murmured, and their— _his_ voice deep and very much male. He nodded to each in turn in greeting as the third figure joined him.

“Are we ready to leave immediately?” the male asked, and both Luna and Solis nodded, leaning down to grab their bags from the floor.

“Can I just ask how you all got up from that height?” Solis asked quietly, aware of the soldiers just outside the door. The first man stumbled over his words as he took in the bluntness of the question.

“Something you’ll learn about later, kid,” he replied, and Solis knew that the man was smirking under his mask.

“I’m not a kid,” Solis grumbled quietly, swinging his bag over his shoulder as the man grasped his elbow. Out of the corner of his eye, Solis could see the other man doing the same to Luna, the Oracle’s look of determination giving Solis a small bit of confidence.

“Sure you’re not, kid.” Solis whipped his head to the man, scowling at him in annoyance.

“That’s enough,” the other man said, making his way to the windowsill and helping Luna up. “Now, we get down and we run, no stopping until we get to the station. If we get split up, head for the rendezvous point. Do you two have any long coats or hoodies we can use to cover your faces?”

Solis and Luna nodded, both reaching into their bags to pull them out. Once Luna’s slightly off-white coat and Solis’ black hoodie was on, the other man nodded. “Alright. We have at most half an hour before they realise you two are missing. Be careful and stick close.”

The man glanced at Luna, as if asking if she was ready, and once receiving a confirming nod, they jumped. The air rushed out of Solis’ lungs in fright, and his feet took a few steps towards the window, as if he were about to check in. The man at his arm held firm however, waiting for the other figure to artfully flip out the window.

The knife from before was pulled out again, and the man glanced to the Acolyte. “This will feel a bit weird, but please don’t throw up on my shoes,” he said, and Solis spluttered as the man threw his knife.

It was most certainly strange. Solis felt as if he was being pulled apart, his stomach as if it was being pushed down the thinnest tube, and his head spun. His feet suddenly landed on solid ground, combat boots thumping on the grass and body given no time to adjust as he was tugged along by the man.

He could faintly see the other three ahead of them, dark against the thick forest that surrounded them. Solis was surprised that they were able to get away so quickly and didn’t dare look back as they ran. He didn’t want to be the one to jinx it.

“What the _fuck_ was that?!” Solis said breathlessly. He got a bark of laughter in return as they continued to run. Solis didn’t want a laugh; he wanted a damn explanation as to why he feels as if he’d been put through the wringer. His backpack was beginning to thump against his lower back, creating a rhythm almost as they ran, weaving through the trees.

There was no alarms, no screaming as they continued. But Solis was suddenly shoved behind a tree, the man pressed up against him as a magitek ship flew overhead. Solis couldn’t see the others, and they waited until the ship passed, breaths coming in nervous gasps. It was a grateful reprieve before Solis was pulled along again. He never liked running, and he wasn’t about to start loving it now.

It was about twenty minutes before the flickering lights of the city appeared, small and beautiful. The man tugged him towards a break in the trees, the two of them slowing down slightly. Solis pulled up the hood of his jumper, warily casting his gaze upon the few stragglers wandering around.

The train station was only a few feet away, people cramming on board and Solis got a quick glance of Luna before she disappeared into a carriage. The man suddenly changed direction, heading for the other side of the platform.

Solis glanced behind them subtly, catching sight of three Imperial soldiers. They were only a few feet away, and if they tilted their heads just so, they’d be able to see the two of them easily. The man sped up their pace and lead Solis onto the platform.

They ducked their heads as they climbed aboard and took seats beside Luna and the other two figures.

“Anyone see you?” the other man asked quietly.

The man beside Solis shook his head, and the train pulled out of the station slowly. “Three Imperial soldiers near the entrance to the station but they didn’t see us,” he replied.

Solis watched as the city he had spent his whole life in shrank in size, clutching Luna’s hand as they watched their city disappear from sight. Solis heaved a huge sigh in relief, the band around his chest which had been present since that morning finally releasing. They were out. They were free.

Luna turned to their three ‘saviours’ suddenly. “Are we allowed to know the names of our rescuers?” she asked curtly, and Solis almost eagerly nodded in agreement.

Hoods came down, masks pulled off and three faces were revealed.

“Cor, Marshall of the Crownsguard,” said the man who had guarded Luna. His stern face was slightly intimidating, and the giant katana strapped to his back – how had he not noticed that? – even more so.

“You mean, Cor the Immortal?” he asked timidly, and the man nodded. Solis wasn’t seeing stars, not at all. Luna elbowed him in the side gently to halt his staring, which was getting a bit creepy.

“I’m Nyx, member of the Kingsglaive,” said the other man, twirling his wickedly sharp blades in his fingertips. Now that he got a good look, Solis wouldn’t discount how handsome Nyx was. He did have to remind himself that the man was a good few years older than him.

Curse his little gay heart.

The last person was a woman, brown hair piled in a messy updo on her head, and brown eyes almost piercing through Solis’ soul. “I’m Crowe, it’s nice to meet ya, my Lady and Lord,” she said.

“Please, just Solis and Luna is fine,” the Oracle replied and the other three nodded in reply. “Is there a destination in mind at the moment? Or is it a case of getting away from the Empire’s influence?”

“Both,” Cor replied, and Solis shuffled in his seat to get a better look at him. “We’re heading for Insomnia. Hopefully we can get there without any major hiccups. Getting to Lucis without alerting the Empire is optimal.”

“And what if we are spotted?” Solis interjected, leaning forward with his forearms on his knees.

“Stick with one of us, we know the rendezvous points and the safest routes. It isn’t best for you two to be running about on your own given the situation,” Cor replied, and both Luna and Solis nodded.

“How long until we get to the main ports?” Luna asked after a few moments of silence.

“A few hours by train, no more than half a day,” Nyx replied.

Solis gaped and buried his head in his hands at that. “I _hate_ trains,” he grumbled, and Luna elbowed his side again. “Quit that!” came the response.

“And why are trains a problem?” Cor asked sternly, and Solis froze. Shit, he shouldn’t have said anything. He needs to play it cool, say that it’s not a problem he can deal—

“Solis has the inability to sit still for long periods of time,” Luna replied helpfully. Solis turned his head to glare at her.

“Oh, I’m sorry that the pins and needles in my ass and raging anxiety pisses you off so much,” Solis snapped, glaring at his pseudo sister in his own annoyance.

“It’s not so much that it pisses me off, it’s that you can’t find any other way to get rid of it other than pacing. _That’s_ what pisses me off,” she retorted.

“I guess that means you wouldn’t like riding chocobos then,” Crowe snickered.

Both Luna and Solis turned to her, both with equal amounts of confusion on their faces. Almost simultaneously, they tilted their heads to the side. “What’s a chocobo?”

Cor rolled his eyes in exasperation as his two subordinates stared at the other two in surprise. Prompto was going to have a lot of fun with these two when they met. Nyx’s mouth hung open in surprise while Crowe spluttered, unable to form a cohesive sentence.

“What’s a chocobo?” the two of them repeated a few times, glancing at each other and then back to Solis and Luna several times. In the end, neither of them answered and when either Solis or Luna prodded them, they were waved off.

Solis did end up getting up and walking the length of the train. He played it off saying he wanted to find out whether there was food, and that was part of the reason, but ended up walking up and back down the train several times, stretching his legs and keeping his hood up.

They pulled up at a station a few hours later, the sun just lifting itself over the horizon as the five of them existed the train car. There was hardly anything there to do, it was just a pit stop for the driver to fill the train up with fuel, but the views from the station were phenomenal, and Solis pulled Luna over to get a better look.

“Do you think our people will ever get to see things like this?” Solis pondered after a few minutes of silence. “I mean, when all this is over of course.”

Luna contemplated for a few minutes, delicately laying her hand on the metal bars that separated them from the sheer drop below. “I believe that if we have hope, they will. It’s not necessarily a case of if, it’s a case of when.”

“Hey, you two, there’s a restaurant in one of the old train cars if you want a bite to eat before we leave,” Crowe called to them, and Solis turned at the mention of food.

Luna laughed. “You and that stomach of yours.”

“What? I’m hungry, I haven’t had anything to eat since that bowl of fruit yesterday morning,” he said, wandering towards Crowe and the aforementioned food.

“Oh, right so that’s discounting the pastry you nicked from the kitchens a few hours later?” Luna snarked back.

Solis looked back at her, looking incredulous and began to play off what Luna already knew. She had seen him scarfing down the pastry when she had passed one of the rarely used corridors. She had said nothing, but nonetheless had rolled her eyes in exasperation before moving on.

The food in the train car wasn’t bad, but then again it wasn’t anything to write home to Oriana about. Although Solis’ stomach wasn’t complaining. The two Glaives however were raving about taking Luna and Solis to a place called ‘Crow’s nest.’

The two of them doubted they knew how much time they’d have before they had to be in Insomnia.

Once they were finished eating, and had stretched their legs a bit more, they clambered aboard the train, Solis grumbling the whole way. He and Luna ended up sleeping the rest of the way however, leaning against each other for support as the train rattled on the tracks.

They didn’t notice Crowe taking pictures from beside them.

Once again, when the train stopped at the port, Luna and Solis pulled the hoods over their heads and their companions pulled up their masks and hoods. It was starting to rain, which meant they blended well with the crowd.

Solis continuously glanced around the area, entranced with what he saw. The people were so bright and happy, and the clothes they wore were so colourful. He hadn’t realised how bored he was with the colours of white and red until now. He looked like a little kid as he pointed out multiple things to Luna, who seemed a bit more controlled than the Acolyte.

The sea was what really astounded the two of them. It was so blue, and so _big_. They’d never seen anything like it in person. It glittered under the mid-morning sun, lapping at the edges of the docks. It crested into waves, sending meagre little splashes over the sides from time to time.

A loud noise startled the two of them and they got a glimpse of their ride to Insomnia. “We’re getting on that?!” Solis exclaimed, pointing at the large ferry that was drawing up to collect its passengers.

Crowe and Nyx snickered at their reactions, watching as even Luna’s mouth gaped open. “Yep, that’s our ride. But you should see the King’s private yacht,” Nyx replied. “It’s way fancier.” If it was at all possible, Solis eyes sparkled in amazement as he took in the boat in front of him.

How could a vessel be so sleek and yet so practical? And how could a _king_ have one even more so? It boggled him completely.

“Right, listen up this is where it gets a bit tricky,” Cor said, gaining their attention. He held up two pieces of paper to the four of them, turning it over so that they could see the front and the back. “These are your visas into Insomnia. They’re fake but should be enough to get you two over the border,” he said.

“Do not use them once we’re across the border, Lucis have a tighter security system inside the border than they do outside,” he continued. “Also, you will have to keep your faces covered. We have spare bandanas here, and your documents say that you’re from the outskirts of Gralea. Most people cover their faces there because of the air pollution anyway.”

Solis and Luna nodded, taking the pieces of cloth that Crowe handed them and tied them around their mouths.

“Now, we will get in easily because of our IDs but, when we’re on the boat, do not talk; someone could overhear us or even recognise you from your voices,” Cor said sternly. “We will have plenty of time for that once we’re in Lucis.” Again, Solis and Luna nodded, faces effectively covered and Cor lead them towards the visa check.

Solis felt terrified, as if the woman behind the desk would take one look at the piece of paper and call the Empire to them. That didn’t happen, but that didn’t stop Solis from clutching Nyx’s arm. Hard. He kept a close eye on the clerk as they passed through, heading up the ferries ramp and into the lounge.

Solis breathed a quick sigh of relief, clutching Luna’s hand when he sat down next to her. She looked as terrified as Solis felt, and the Acolyte squeezed her hand in reassurance. They could do this, they’d survived the cruelty of the Empire, a few more hours of staying quiet was a piece of cake.


	8. Trials and Tribulations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arrival in Lucis, and Tragedy strikes.
> 
> (also apologies this isn't beta read)

It was the hardest thing for Solis to do. Having the cloth over his mouth made it worse as it felt incredibly humid. It also inhibited him from breathing through his nose, and so he had to use his mouth instead. He hated it. The smell of the cloth wasn’t the best either, something like sweat and body odour invading his nose.

He and Luna sat together on the ferry, heads bowed and each clutching the other’s hands. Solis felt terrified, blue eyes darting up every few seconds to examine their surroundings. He saw the world in gasps that whole trip.

The ferry was quite full, which intrigued Solis. He saw many families huddled together, couples clutching each other desperately, and some poor souls who stood by themselves, blankly staring at nothing.

Crowe, Cor and Nyx sat a few feet away from them to avoid suspicion. Two presumably runaway Graleans was weird enough. Ones escorted by people dressed in Lucian colours even more so.

They kept their heads bent over a piece of paper hushed whispers being the only things able to reach Solis’ ears from where he sat. When Crowe moved slightly, he got a glimpse of roads and towns spread across the page, and he assumed it was a map and didn’t dare look anymore as a Niflheim soldier wandered past him. He ducked his head out of sight, head covered by his hood still.

He and Luna passed the time by whispering to one another. They didn’t turn their heads from where they were focused on their shoes, but they sat close enough to be able to hear the other without having to face them. Solis could see Luna’s hands begin to shake from time to time and he squeezed them tight in reassurance.

The conversations were anything from what they thought about their ‘guards’; “I saw you looking at Nyx.” “Well you weren’t the only one going for the eye-candy”, to what they thought the Empire’s plans were, although that almost ended with a load of laughter as they tried to come up with ridiculous ideas.

It also turned to what they thought chocobos were, which was at that point that they were incredibly bored. Luna thought they were tiny cute animals that people kept in their purses for fun. Solis thought they were big beasts, big enough to ride with what Crowe said and that they resembled something of the animals in his childhood books; clawed and deadly with fur covering their entire bodies.

“Chocobos can’t look like _bears_!” Luna said, and Solis could hear the incredulousness in her voice even when she whispered.

“Well do _you_ know what they look like?” he asked rhetorically. “No, so therefore they could look like bears.”

They left it at that and didn’t talk anymore as it was getting a bit dangerous to; more soldiers had taken to wandering around the ferry, almost as if they were on the lookout. It seemed they’d discovered they were missing from the manor.

The two of them sat tense and quiet the rest of the ferry ride, getting up slowly and calmly when they docked. Solis clutched Luna’s hand tight when they passed the soldiers on the way out, and again when they handed over their visas. Solis feared they would call bull-shit and send them straight back to Tenebrae.

He could imagine the triumphant look on Ardyn’s face when they’d be carted into the throne room and practically thrown to the Emperor’s feet.

Solis was so caught up in his imaginings that he didn’t notice they were past the border until Luna pinched his arm. He jolted, hissing and turning to whack her arm when he noticed the grey boxes containing the border checks were behind them and their ‘guards’ were staring at him expectantly. Solis blushed.

“What next?” he asked joyously, reaching up to take off the bandana around his mouth gratefully. He had half a mind to toss it into the sea and forget about it completely.

“We need to find a mode of transport to get you two to Insomnia,” Cor replied, pulling out a phone and tapping on its screen rapidly. “A car would be optimal, chocobo would be helpful,” he commented, pocketing his phone once again.

“There’s an outpost just a five minute walk away. We could rent some chocobos there,” Nyx said, pointing to a sign a few feet away. The font was strange, and it took a few seconds for Solis to decipher what it said and even then he could barely pronounce it.

The five of them began trundling towards the outpost. Solis’ head felt like it was on a post as it swivelled back and forth, his blue eyes attempting to take in everything.

The outpost itself wasn’t that remarkable, just a gas station, shop and a caravan a few feet away from it. Cor headed over to a strange machine, coloured yellow and seemingly battered from nature. He pressed a few buttons quickly, frowned and tried again.

“What’s wrong?” Nyx asked after the third try, heading over to the machine as well to take a look. He frowned too after a few seconds and headed over to the shop. Crowe, Luna, Solis and Cor followed behind.

“They’re not being rented,” the shop clerk was saying as they entered. “Some raging beast has them spooked and Wiz ain’t lettin’ any of them out.”

Solis frowned in confusion as Cor pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. “Is there any way to get even two birds out? We need to get to Insomnia as soon as possible,” Cor asked, coming up to the counter himself. Movement off to the side caught Solis’ eye and he nudged Luna’s hand. Together they pulled their hoods up again and made to get a closer look.

They didn’t go too far, just allowing themselves enough room to peak around the corner of an aisle. Two elderly people sat at a table, sipping cups of tea and murmuring amongst themselves. Luna and Solis glanced at each other, shrugged and headed back to the others.

“Until the beast is killed, no birds are comin’ this way. That’s for sure,” the clerk was saying as the two returned.

Cor sighed in exasperation and strode out of the shop with purpose. Solis glanced back once more at the elderly couple, both of whom were frowning at the five of them and scuttled after Luna and the others.

It was turning into a beautiful day when Solis stepped out of the shade and into the sunlight. It was clear and warm, and if he concentrated Solis could see a spike of some sort poking out from the horizon. He could hear Cor grumbling a few feet away, the man angrily punching his phone screen with his finger. He did not look pleased.

“Why did we need chocobos?” Solis asked, curious.

“They’re the only cheap way to get to Insomnia without having to hitchhike and draw attention,” Nyx explained. Solis hummed in thought as he leaned his head on Luna’s shoulder. It had been a long day, Solis could barely believe that they’d left Tenebrae the night before, and all this running around was making him exhausted.

He tried in vain to hold back a yawn, and he could see Luna’s neck straining slightly as she tried to hold back one too. “How you doing?” he asked her quietly while the other three debated amongst themselves what they were to do next.

“I’m alright. I might be standing on my last two legs, but I could go for another hour before collapsing,” she replied good naturedly, although Solis could now hear how tired she was by the sound of her rasping voice. “I’m hoping we get a rest in all of this.”

Solis hummed, nuzzling his nose against her shoulder, leaning against her a bit more. He was surprised that they had hit no trouble apart from this in their journey so far. He’d been sure they’d be caught during their run through the forest, or at the train station. He had also been terrified they’d be accosted on the ferry and dragged back to Tenebrae. He found it ridiculous that the mode of transport being unavailable to them was the only snag they’d hit.

“Excuse me.” A light tap on his shoulder gained Solis’ attention as he turned around. The elderly couple from before stood behind the two of them, and Solis gingerly felt his hood to ensure it was on securely.

“Can I help you?” Nyx was the one to reply, coming to stop in front of the Oracle and Acolyte. Although he was smiling kindly the couple took a few steps back, intimidated by his height and black clothing. Solis would be scared too if faced against the man.

“Oh, yes we overheard your conversation with the clerk in the store a few minutes ago,” the old man said, stepping closer to his wife.

“And we have plenty of room in the bed of our truck and I said to Joe here, I said; ‘now Joe, we can help those young people now can’t we?’” the woman piped up, smiling kindly back to Nyx as Cor and Crowe came forward as well.

“And I said, ‘why yes Bess, yes we can. I’ sure we can fit three in the passengers seats and the other two in the bed,’” said Joe. “And here we are!” The couple smiled at each other at that.

“We might not be able to take you to Insomnia, but we can take you as far as the Coernix station in Cauthess,” Bess replied, smiling at them all.

Solis felt elated, and almost like he could hug and kiss them both. A car, a place that he and Luna could hopefully have a nap in before any other shenanigans begin. Luna glanced at him and he could just see her lips quirking in a smile beneath her hood. Solis glanced at Cor, hope shining in his blue eyes.

“That’s very kind of you, we can pay for fuel if needs be,” Cor replied after a few moments of silence. Solis felt as if he could jump for joy as the old couple waved Cor’s wad of money away and beckoned them to their truck.

Solis and Luna practically shoved the other three into the three passengers seats at the back, clambering into the bed of the truck themselves. They didn’t want to miss the scenery flickering past them, although they didn’t see much of it as they dozed, closing their eyes to the warm, blissful sun.

The drive was smooth, and the warm breeze didn’t allow the two of them to get cold as they sat leaning against one another. One would nap while the other would support them, and Solis spent his ‘shift’ glancing around him, taking in the bright colours and exotic animals they shot past.

At one point, Solis poked Luna awake, pointing to a horned animal which reared onto its hind legs as it past. It was a gorgeous navy colour and Solis gaped at it as it went out of sight. The Oracle didn’t seem to have much interest in the animal, waving off Solis’ poking and laying her head back down against his shoulder to sleep once again.

The truck jolting as it drove over an uneven part of the road awoke Solis suddenly, his head coming up from where it had been tilted backwards. His mouth was dry, and he smacked his lips as he took in where they were. The covering of the fuel station blocked out the sweltering sun, casting blissful shade over the cars parked by the petrol pumps.

The surrounding area was colourful and bright. Great stone arches caught his eye and when he tried to follow their direction he couldn’t really see where they were coming from.

The twin thuds of car doors slamming shut brought Solis from his thoughts. Crowe, Cor and Nyx emerged from their ‘confinement,’ Cor talking animatedly with Bess about gardening or something along those lines and the other two looking as if they’d been bored to death.

Luna gracefully got down from the bed of the truck, pulling up her hood once again as Solis followed, if slightly less graceful. And no, he didn’t scrape his knee against the ground Nyx. He snickered gleefully at the looks on the younger Glaives faces as he pulled up his own hood as well.

“We’re so sorry we can’t take you any further than here,” Joe was saying good naturedly. “But, if ya keep walking in that direction for a few hours you should hit Lestallum. Someone oughta give you a ride the rest of the way.”

“Thank you so much for your help, we are very grateful,” Nyx said, smiling kindly at the elderly couple.

“Oh, it was our pleasure dear,” Bess replied and to Cor she said; “now don’t forget what I told you to do with those peonies of yours dear, fresh water every day.” Solis almost chocked on his own spit in surprise, and Luna whacked him on the back.

Cor grimaced almost sheepishly and led the way to the shop on the other side of the lot, the four younger ones waving goodbye to the elderly couple as they drove away.

The shop was blissfully cool on the inside, a fan keeping the temperature down from the somewhat humid heat outside. Music was playing from a radio by the counter and Solis glanced around at the wares on display.

“Welcome!” called a cheery voice. “What can I get for you?”

Cor wandered over to the counter, pulling out his wallet and speaking quietly as he asked for what they needed. To the others he said, “why don’t you guys head to the Crow’s nest? Get something to eat before we hit the road.”

Crowe and Nyx’s faces almost split in two at the wideness of their grins and both grabbed an arm of the Oracle and Acolyte, dragging them away once they received some money from Cor. Solis didn’t exactly like being man handled, but he stuck it out until they were inside the diner, his own patented glare digging deep into the Glaives’ backs.

The Crow’s Nest smelt greasy, and it seemed to contain all walks of life. Solis and Luna kept their bandanas up but brought down their hoods to counter the heat in the room. Once again, a radio was set at the end of the bar, except this one could be changed by anyone who wanted to listen to a different channel. Solis wondered at how many arguments that had caused. 

The two of them were led to the bar, and Solis playfully swung round on his as the others ordered their food. He didn’t really know what was good and what wasn’t so – on Nyx’s recommendation – he ordered a hamburger which, when it arrived, Solis was sceptical of whether he could even finish.

He picked it up in his hands and tried though, copying what Nyx was doing with his while Luna nibbled on some fries, giggling at Solis’ poor attempt to keep clean as he took a huge bite. The sauce, juice and half the burger bun ended up on his plate when he finished, and Cor was calling them to come out as he licked the rest from his fingers.

He pouted as he stepped, once again, into the blazing heat, reminiscing on the milkshake he had in the diner – which was the most delicious thing Solis has ever had. Apart from Cook’s tarts. And the burger he had had before that. Let’s just say it was one of the best.

“Alright,” Cor said, spreading the map he had purchased across the hood of a car. He pointed to a town near the top of the page. “That is where we’re headed, and this,” he slid his finger down the page a bit, “is where we are. It’ll take us about a day to walk to Lestallum, two if we need a pit stop for the night at a motel.”

He glanced up at the rest of his group. “We will be walking from here, so I don’t want to hear any complaints.”

Solis leaned over to whisper in Luna’s ear, “or you’ll walk the plank.” The Oracle giggled quietly, covering her mouth with her hand to stifle the noise. He grinned at her and brought his attention back to Cor who was staring at the exasperatedly. He’d heard them.

They’d left the outpost behind a few minutes later, and Solis was suddenly glad he had worn something with a hood as they trudged through the baking heat. It shimmered a few feet off the ground and cars rushed by them, providing gusts of air to cool them off. Solis wished for a fan.

It was nightfall by the time they were halfway there, and Cor had to literally drag Crowe and Nyx away from the road and into the motel. He didn’t seem to care that Nyx could take any daemons who dared to appear with one hand tied behind his back. Or that Crowe would be able to run ahead and clear a path. He plopped both of them down on a bed each like a father disciplining his children while Solis and Luna watched, a pack of cards being dealt between them.

“We don’t want to draw any unwanted attention, which is inevitable if you two go out there by yourselves and cause a ruckus,” Cor scolded, and Solis giggled. He could imagine Cor as a father. Hell, he could have kids at home and Solis would never know.

Solis’ body was crying in relief when they settled for bed, his body almost going boneless as he laid against the mattress. He snuggled his nose into the pillow, ignoring the fact that it smelt of mothballs and tobacco. The comforter was itchy as well, but he didn’t care, he had a proper bed finally.

They all rose with the sun; which Luna was surprised about because Solis was known for getting up slightly later than others unless he needed to awaken early. He looked like a zombie however, and practically dragged himself from the bed. Although, one stern look from Cor and he perked up, practically running downstairs to grab food from the small shop.

They set out again after breakfast – which was really just a burnt piece of toast, what Solis would _give_ for Cook’s food right then. The sun wasn’t as intense as they walked, which brightened Solis’ mood somewhat and by the time they reached Lestallum, Luna was becoming irritated at her Acolyte’s persistence in annoying her.

Lestallum was a buzz of activity, farmers pushing their produce seemingly towards a market. Men cried out their wares loudly, one of them waving a piece of meat on a stick around. People wandered around languidly, some stopping to inspect produce, others sitting at round tables sipping on drinks.

Cor lead them towards the courtyard, which is where they heard the beginnings of rumours. Solis stopped at a group of women surrounding a table, talking quietly.

“Did you hear what happened?” one said.

“It’s such a travesty,” added another.

“I wonder whether they’ll be able to rebuild it,” a third replied.

“Forget about rebuilding, did you hear how many casualties there was? It’s terrible,” muttered the last.

Solis turned to see the others listening as well. Cor furrowed his eyebrows and hurried over to a table by where one of the men shouted loudly. A radio sat innocently atop the surface, and Cor flicked it on, turning the knob to a channel. Solis, Luna, Nyx and Cor also hovered around the table to listen in.

“In other news,” the reporter said, “word has come from Insomnia about the recent tragedy. Officials have reported that it may have been an attack in the name of genocide enacted by the Empire, though Niflheim has yet to reach out to confirm or deny these claims. Unfortunately in these recent events, information has reached us that King Regis and Crown Prince Noctis have been declared dead. This is a dark day for the Lucian Empire.”

The report cut off with a press of Cor’s finger and a deathly silence descended. Solis glanced around at the others in sympathy, Luna with her head bowed, Nyx with his brow crinkled and Crowe’s fisted hands.

“It can’t be true,” Cor said shakily, quietly. “The prince was due to leave the castle yesterday; he was meant to meet us at Hammerhead. And Regis would’ve had Drautos by his side. That man would never allow his King to be harmed. Unless—”

“The mole,” Nyx said, despair coating his words.

“We need to go check, now. We can get there within a few hours if we warp,” Crowe said determinedly. Cor looked as if he were about to disagree when Luna stepped forward.

“Go, we’ve had too much death and destruction done by the Empire. We need the Prince if we are to finish what this path has started,” Luna said, and Solis bowed his head in remembrance of the fall of Tenebrae. If the Empire used that much force to bring down a small Kingdom, he shuddered to think of what had occurred in Insomnia.

“Thank you Luna. Stay here, don’t leave Lestallum. There is a hotel just a few streets away. Give them this and they’ll let you in,” Cor said, handing over a handful of money and a card with his picture on it; an ID.

“We’ll be back by tomorrow morning, hopefully with the prince,” Cor said as the other two began to make their way back to the main road. Solis and Luna nodded and watched them go, Nyx grabbing hold of Crowe’s hand and all of them disappearing in twin flashes of blue light.

Someone flicked the radio on again behind them, and the same reporter started up again. “Rumours have begun to fly that the Empire is enquiring on the whereabouts of the Oracle and her Acolyte. According to our sources the two are said to have disappeared the same night an envoy had departed for Insomnia. More details after this message.”  

Solis’ eyes widened as his hand subtly pulled his hood down further to avoid detection. He glanced behind him to see Luna gone, and when he turned around to get a better look around him, he saw her wandering back towards the main road determinedly.

Solis began to run towards her. “Shit, what now?!” he asked himself. He could feel his body imploring him to stop, to rest and go lie down on the bed that was promised. But, he grit his teeth and ran after the Oracle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe how Irish I made the couple sound. That is literally how much teachers talk all day, just with a really thick Donegal accent. Yes, this chapter is a build up to the next. I'm sorry it's so fillery but, kinda have to if the next bit is going to make sense. Can't have them suddenly turning up in Lestallum. 
> 
> Also, this is the first time I'm saying this, but kudos and comments are much appreciated. They're what keeps writers going knowing that people are enjoying their stories so if you liked it PUNCH THAT LIKE BUTTON IN THE FACE, LIKE A BOSS!   
> and, high fives all round  
> *high five noises*  
> BUT THANK YOU GUYS AND ILL SEE ALL YOU DUDES, IN THE NEXT CHAPTER 
> 
> I am not sorry for doing that XD


	9. Don't wake the Beast!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A road is diverged, a new path set. And Solis just wants to go back to bed.

“Luna! Wait! Where are you going?” Solis yelled, jogging after the girl as she strode purposefully down the main road. She began to pull up her hair in a ponytail as she walked which allowed her to slow down slightly.

At this point, Solis was beginning to feel slightly delirious. With having only gotten about three hours sleep within the past two days - most of which was on a train - plus the amount of stress they both had had to go through; he was unsure of what date it was his brain was so fried. He wasn’t sure how he was able to chase after the Oracle with a possible death wish, but he was able to stay upright.

“To the Disk of Cauthess,” Luna replied, turning her head to glance back at her Acolyte who was stumbling down the main road. Solis pulled to a stop, frowning in confusion as his gaze cast to the tall spike in the distance. It gave him the creeps, and he had no idea why.

“Why there? What’s there that’s so important that you’d need to leave the safety of a town which Cor specifically said not to?” Solis asked, jogging to catch up to her once and walking to keep pace with her once he did. Luna’s hood had been taken down to facilitate her new hairstyle at this stage, and there was no real reason to keep them up now. No one was there to report them anyway. Solis pulled his down too, letting the mid-morning breeze blow through his own tiny blonde ponytail.

“Titan is there. To aid Noctis, if he is still alive we _must_ awaken him,” she said casting her gaze to Solis as he pulled up short once again. It felt as if his brain had short circuited in confusion. Awaken Titan? Why?

Sweat was beginning to collect at the nape of his neck, and he could feel it running down his back in nervousness. He felt achingly hot, yet incredibly cold at the same time; as if a chill was running up his spine, frosting over his bones and freezing his bloodstream. He stared at the Oracle, processing what she meant.

_“Stop her,” Gentiana whispered._

Luna didn’t seem affected by the voice or the cold and continued on her way to the Disk. Solis stayed glued to the spot, his hands shaking in fear as he decided what to do. He had to join Luna, without him she’d be without protection and wouldn’t be able to awaken Titan. But, then again, Gentiana had warned him about something on the horizon. Something bad. Was this it? Was waking Titan such a bad thing?

He jogged after Luna once again. “How do we know that Titan will even wake up? Or help Noctis without squishing him into a pancake?” Solis contradicted, imagining a great fist slamming into a tiny person and flattening them. “This just doesn’t seem right. Or very safe.”

Great stone slabs were beginning to create small overhangs above their heads as they drew closer to the Disk. Solis had to wonder how far away it actually was if it looked small from Lestallum, almost like a toothpick. The heat was starting to get unbearable again, sweltering in temperature the closer they got to their destination. Solis was starting to think it was getting to his head.

“I don’t know whether this will work. I don’t know if I can even get him to listen to me, but it’s my destiny. It’s my duty as Oracle, and yours as well as Acolyte,” Luna replied, her strides getting longer and more confident, her aura oozing determination. Solis could see through it though; she was scared, and rightfully so.

_Red grew like a blossom on white fabric. She stumbled and fell, a victorious smile on Ardyn’s face above her. He smiled toothily, his eyes turning black with miasma and looking much like the demons in fairy tales. She was scared, but her expression hardened, her grip tightening on her trident as she stood to her feet. One last stand._

“Your destiny?” Solis asked, incredulous. “Luna, you know what awakening a god, or multiple gods, will do to you. Your magic can’t sustain that power, not even with my help. How can it be your destiny to die?!”

“I didn’t ask for it!” she cried out, turning to face him finally. Her expression was desperate but determined, as if it was her last hope and she was taking it. “I didn’t ask for an early grave! I _know_ what’s going to happen. And I’ve known ever since I took those steps up to the podium when we Ascended.”

“So, you knew, and never once in the seven years since that day ever thought to tell me that you were meant to die doing something that was forced upon you?” Solis asked, tears streaming down his face as his heart clenched in pure agony.

“I’m sorry,” Luna whispered. “But if I told you, you’d just try to stop me, to change things. And you can’t.” She was crying too now, the tears falling gently as she turned and sprinted the rest of the way to the Disk, passing the unmanned gate and into the home of the Titan. Solis suspected that the Nif’s had been recalled to take down Insomnia and therefore had left the Titan unguarded. Which was inconvenient for him but perfect for Luna.

_She sat in a chair in a manor not unlike her own. The furniture was different, the décor was different, the guns aiming at her head were different. And yet, she could imagine she and her best friend running around this room joyfully, like ghosts sitting in her mind waiting for her return._

Solis couldn’t allow her to do this. Above all else, he was meant to protect her, keep her safe. And yet, here he was, allowing her to run to her ultimate demise without fighting. No. He wouldn’t stand for it, he won’t.

His feet were carrying him along quickly, the blazing heat of the Disk washing over him as he ran inside. There was rock, rocks, more rocks and oh look! More rocks as he ran in the direction Luna was heading. The heat and the running combined made his breaths shorter and his eyes water slightly as he tried to catch up with her. She was a white ghost drifting further away from him, he had to catch up to her.

He pulled to an abrupt stop, saving himself from almost careening into the valley below him. If he’d taken one more step he would’ve tumbled to his untimely death. He spotted a grave behind him; one of the old Kings lying quietly in slumber as he waited for the new king to take his weapon. He could also see the god clearly from where he stood, still slumbering and safely tucked away under the meteorite, unawaken and unmoving. He cast his blue eyes around for a speck of white.

_“She will only bring despair and chaos. Destiny will be back on its destructive course,” Gentiana said again, her voice growing louder._

His next breath fogged in front of him, but he paid it no mind as his gaze latched onto Luna at the bottom of a large slope downward, her shoes kicking up dust as she ran. Solis gave chase once again, his own shoes thundering on the ground as he sprinted towards her.

“Luna! Stop! You don’t have to do this!” Solis shouted as Luna picked up her pace. She was almost to Titan, and Solis had to get her away from the god before she started singing. It would be all over then. An Oracle and Acolyte are meant to sing together and if one starts the other has to follow. It was in their magic, it strung them both along and dumped them on the other end with a – probable – grumpy or angry god and a whole lot of trouble.

“Yes I do! It’s the only way to aid Noctis! We need all the help we can get to defeat Ardyn!” she cried back, coming to a stop in front of the god as Solis finally caught up to her. They stood there, sizing up each other carefully, Solis watching Luna’s hands move for any sign of her trident.

“No it isn’t, there’s got to be another way!” Solis said. “Doing it this way will _kill you_ Luna! And then you wouldn’t be able to se Ravus again. You’d be leaving me behind.” Tears made their way down Solis’ cheeks once again, and Luna stepped forward her hand coming up to caress Solis’ cheek. “I can’t lose you too,” he sobbed.

“I’m sorry, Solis. But I have to do this,” she said, turning back towards Titan and taking a firm stance, her trident bursting into existence with a flash of golden light.

_The pain. The darkness. It all amounted into one pile of feelings sitting inside her chest like a stone. Her blue eyes gazed up at the ones above her, her hand shakily caressing tear stained cheeks, coming up to run through dishevelled blonde hair. She smiled at him and her eyes closed. Her breathing stopped._

“You can’t do this, you _can’t_ ,” Solis cried, curling into a ball with grief.

Coldness rushed up his spine, into his arms, legs, fingertips. Roaming around his body and taking residence within his very soul. It gave him power, gave him courage, and gave his magic an energy burst he’d never felt before. He could feel someone behind him, supporting him with every step he took towards Luna.

The Oracle turned again, catching sight of her Acolyte coming towards her. He was glowing, a bright brilliantly cold blue surrounding his body completely. His eyes were alight with it too, pupils turned into pinpoints and the colour flooding his irises. He stalked towards her, bladed staff held loosely between his fingers and boots creating cracks in the ground with every step.  

“You will not awaken the Titan,” Solis said, and his voice was strange, as if two people were speaking at once. “You will forgo your destiny, follow a different path.”

“No! I know my path, and this is it! How can you expect me to change it?” Luna shouted as the wind suddenly picked up, bringing with it a sudden cold draft. Luna shivered, wrapping her arms around herself and clutching her trident tighter.

“By stepping away from the god, follow the path of light. Ignore the temptation to walk the path of night,” Solis said, his voice echoing menacingly on the rocks around him.

Luna looked unsure, casting her gaze towards the god behind her to Solis in front of her and back again. She frowned in indecision and a silence descended on the two of them. The cold wind still blew around them, lifting their hair and clothing and making Luna shiver more than she already was.

“I have to do this,” she whispered, and quickly turned to dart the last few meters towards the god.

Solis’ eyes widened, and suddenly he didn’t have control on his body. “No!” he shouted, raising his arms and the staff in his grip high over his head. He brought it down hard on the ground, sending a wave of blue magic towards Luna and Titan.

It sent Luna flying far enough that she was away from Titan but not causing her too much harm. The icy wind that had surrounded them suddenly became colder, harsher and it caught the magic and swept it away, the temperature returning to the blazing heat that it was before once the magic disappeared.

Solis collapsed to his knees, breathing heavily. Exhaustion wiggled itself deep into his bones, causing him to keel over onto his side on the dusty ground. He groaned as he spotted Luna crawling over to him, dumping herself on the ground beside him unceremoniously.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to do that,” he murmured, furrowing his brows in concentration to shift his body over to face her. Honestly he didn’t mean to do any of the stuff that happened in the past five minutes. It felt like he was the puppet and someone else was pulling his strings.

She chuckled. “That’s alright, not every day you have a god inhabiting your body.” It grew silent again as they considered what had just occurred, and Solis’ brain lodged that piece of information. He was going to have a talk to a god about possessing his body without permission. “So, what now? We’ve ruled out the help of the gods, who do we have to turn to?” she asked almost innocently.

Solis laughed. “Honestly, I’m not sure. I think I just want a proper sleep in a proper bed for a few weeks. Then I’ll have my head on straight to think of a plan.”  

They lay there in companionable silence for a few moments before Solis spoke again. “Don’t go off trying to wake anymore gods,” he said, “I don’t think I can pull off that parlour trick again.”

Luna laughed joyously, nodding her head in agreement. “By the way,” she said, gaining Solis’ attention yet again. “Happy Birthday.” A tired grin stretched Solis’ mouth and the boy began to chuckle.

                                      ________________

“Tell me it isn’t true.” Rain splattered against Noctis’ coat, soaking his hair and dribbling down his nose. It concealed his tears but did nothing to cover his anger. He _burned_ with it, wanted to beat that raisin of an Emperor into next week. The only thing keeping him from his goal was Gladio’s firm hand on his shoulder.

There was a tense silence as the group collectively waited for Cor to reply. The phone was on speaker, everyone could hear. A heavy sigh made its way to their ears, sounding exhausted and weighted down with a feeling Noctis had never experienced from the Marshall before. One of defeat, and disappointment and a bucket load of self-loathing.

“I’m sorry Noctis, but it’s true,” Cor said, and on the other end of the line he pinched the bridge of his nose. He’d had a dreadful feeling ever since they left Luna and Solis back at Lestallum but had ignored it in favour of ensuring his King and Prince’s wellbeing. One of which now lay in a decimated city, staring blankly at a dark ceiling, dead.

Noctis chocked back a sob, his hand coming up to grip Gladio’s, grateful for the comfort. Behind him, Ignis and Prompto stood in silence, heads bent in respect. Noctis didn’t know what to do, he wasn’t meant to become king so early, and with half the population of Insomnia most likely dead and the other half scattered, he didn’t exactly have much of a kingdom to rule.

“How?” he asked shakily, gazing forward at the city on fire. Granted, he could only see the skyline and the plumes of smoke, but he didn’t think he’d be able to take seeing anymore. It was agonizing enough to see what his city had become. He didn’t need that additional trauma.

“When I went in to check, Drautos had been in much the same state as your father, but he wore a specialized armour. Like the ones the Imperial soldiers wear,” Cor explained, and braced himself for the inevitable explosion.

“He betrayed us?” Noctis said quietly, and his friends glanced up worriedly, ready to hold him back from doing anything drastic. His hands shook in anger. Drautos, the man he had left his father in the hands of, the man who seemed so trustworthy turned out to no more than a worm who deserved to be crushed under Noctis’ black boot.

“Yes, it would seem that way,” Cor said after a few seconds of silence, surprised with how calm Noctis was being. Although the Marshall could feel the anger seeping through the phone line, and he couldn’t see the look of absolute rage on Noctis’ face. “Look, we can’t do anything about this now but, I’ve left two important stowaways back in Lestallum. Give me your location and we’ll come pick you up,” Cor said almost anxiously.

“Why? We have the Regalia. We can come and meet you,” Noctis said, frowning in confusion, and indignation. There was no way he was leaving the last piece of his father he had left behind.

“The Regalia would be too noticeable Noct, the Imperials would be able to identify it from a mile away,” Ignis explained, stepping forward slightly. Cor made a noise of agreement and Noctis huffed. He loved his dad’s car; he didn’t want to give it up just for convenience.

“You got them?” Noctis suddenly asked, remembering what Cor had said before he started pouting about their mode of transport. It seemed his anger had been forgotten for now and Gladio took his hand away from the prince’s shoulder.

“Yes,” Cor said, “and I’m worried that if we don’t hurry they’ll somehow get themselves into trouble. So if you wouldn’t mind telling me where you are so we can come and get you?” He was beginning to sound slightly miffed now, and Ignis rattled off their location quickly.

They stewed in silence, as they waited for their ride to arrive. Noctis spent that time standing and staring at the skyline of his city, watching as more Imperial ships flew overhead, on their way to finish what they had started the day before. To keep his hands busy, he passed his phone from hand to hand while his friends discussed what their next step was.

Noctis’ phone was stowed in his pocket when a faded red truck pulled up to the base of the incline they stood upon. How it got there in the first place was a mystery to the three friends. Nyx, Crowe and Cor climbed out, walking to meet the entourage, the rain soaking their clothes as well.

“Nice to see you in one piece Your Highness,” Nyx said, pulling a tiny smile from Noctis. Cor frowned at Nyx in disappointment and the Glaive apologised, clearing his throat and adjusting his posture.

“It’s good to see you’re all alright. Is there anything from any of the other glaives?” Noctis asked, desperate for any bit of hope he could get.

“Not as of yet, Highness. However, there is the possibility some could be out there, it’s a matter of finding them,” the Marshall said, running his hand through his hair briefly, brow furrowing in concern for their situation.

“Marshall, do we have a plan?” Ignis suddenly piped up and Noctis glanced over at him. He jolted back in surprise at his Advisor’s dishevelled look. He could see Prompto trying to contain his laughter at the sight of the Advisor’s ruined hair and Noctis snorted. It was flattened against his forehead in what looked like a cowlick and dripping rain down his cheeks. All in all, not the best look.

Cor’s voice snapped them from their laughter abruptly. “We need to get to Lestallum. I’ve booked a couple of rooms and I believe your sister is there Amicitia.” Gladio snapped his attention to the Marshall and his shoulders relaxed incrementally at the news. “From there, we can think of what we need to do. For now, we lay low. Stay out of the Empire’s radar until we have a solid plan.”

Multiple heads nodded in agreement and Noctis glanced at Ignis for guidance. His glasses glinted slightly as he inclined his head, and Noctis blew out a short puff of air. “Sounds good. When do we leave?” he asked Cor, and the Marshall glanced up to where multiple Imperial ships were slowly making their way to the remains of their capital.

“Now. The sooner we get away from Imperial forces the better,” he said, wandering back to the truck and opening the drivers door. “Crowe and Ignis, you’re in the back. Nyx up the front with me and Noctis and Prompto in the passengers seats.”

They quickly climbed into their designated seats, the pitter-patter of rain plopping onto the roof of the truck being the only sound until the engine sputtered to life. It was then that the events of the day caught up with Noctis and, leaning his head against the window, he dozed, blocking out the sounds of the others around him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right that was a hefty one. You all alright? Good.   
> I'm so excited for you guys to read the next chapter! We're finally onto the good stuff now. School has been biting me in the ass and it sucks. Please send help. 
> 
> Also, I've said it before comments and kudos are really helpful and appreciated. I do like seeing whether you guys like what I'm writing (or not if that's the case). I'll see you all soon!


	10. Salutations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys are back in town.

Solis laid his head against Luna’s shoulder, grateful for the support. He felt as if he’d keel over sideways if she wasn’t sitting beside him. He felt utterly exhausted, stressed and altogether miserable. Sure, they’d just received a victory; a god remained in a deep slumber and there was no way for Ardyn to use the gods for his unlawful deeds.

However, they had just lost their one way to winning whatever this had turned into. On one hand, Solis would consider it a war, because you had two sides battling each other. One was more immoral than the other but that didn’t mean both hadn’t killed people. They were effectively on their own now, unless Gentiana turned up again and graciously offered her assistance.

Solis was too tired to actually even consider planning, it would be done some time or other but, for now at least, he was content with watching the world fly by. At least until the feeling that his limbs were weighted down had disappeared.

His blue eyes glazed lazily across the open plains in front of them, observing as families and couples wandered over to take pictures of the view. He liked being able to do this, sit and not have to worry about things like the fate of the world or whether he would wake up in the same place he fell asleep in.

He’d never considered being able to have a normal life. He didn’t even know whether what he considered ordinary was normal. He thought normal was being cooped up in a large house, guarded and watched by the same people who brought down his home. He thought a typical life was being threatened to be killed if he stepped out of line, that glancing over his shoulder every day in case of danger was what everyone else did.

Being rescued by Nyx, Cor and Crowe was the first time Solis had encountered what other people thought was ordinary. Being able to speak your mind without being glared at. Not having guns and weapons pointed at your back in case you ran. Being able to go outside without having to ask permission.

Solis had always thought he’d be stuck in that manor all his life, the walls of that building being the only thing he’d see. When the occupation had first occurred, Solis had imagined him growing old and dying in the same place he was born; not being able to leave and sate his curiosity. 

Now, he had a whole country to explore. Expansive green plains, dry crusty deserts and Solis had even spotted a _volcano_ on their way to Lestallum. It astounded the man with how big the world was compared to the manor he grew up in. Solis was just curious as to how long he could explore it all without the world going to shit.

“What are you thinking about?” Luna asked quietly. She shifted her shoulders a bit, causing Solis to adjust his head’s position. They’d long since pulled off their hoods and kicked off their shoes. Getting as comfortable as they could on a hard wooden bench was tricky.

“Stuff,” Solis replied, picking up Luna’s hand in his and linking their fingers together. Both their hands shook with exhaustion, and Solis squeezed her hand in reassurance. They both needed probably a week of hibernation. Or just staying in bed for a month would be preferable.

“Am I allowed to know what ‘stuff’?” Luna asked, turning her head to get a look at Solis’ expression. Her surrogate brother looked exhausted, the bags under his eyes had bags of their own, and his forehead was furrowed between his eyebrows. As if he was forcing himself to stay awake.

Solis shrugged. “Just things in general. Mainly what I’ll be able to find out there once we get going.” It was one of those times where Solis wished he had a camera. Ravus had one at some point. It’s what Luna used to take photos of them and send to Noctis sometimes.

But, it had been destroyed, along with the rest of Ravus’ belongings when he had been taken from them. That was another thing Solis wanted to add to the grand plan; save Ravus. He wasn’t very sure what they’d find would be the person who left them, but he sure as hell wasn’t going to leave the man in the claws of the Empire any longer than they had to.

“We’ll have to create a field journal,” Luna giggled, and Solis frowned in confusion.

“What’s a field journal?” he asked, his eyes lighting up with curiosity, although he didn’t move, apart from tilting his head to meet her gaze.

“It’s a book where you can record all your findings. Mostly it’s for things like plants, animals and natural things. But, it can be used for other things, such as historical findings,” Luna told him, meeting his eyes with her own.

“Can it be put in a regular notebook? Or do we need to get a specific type?” Solis asked, liking this idea more as Luna explained it to him.

“It can be in a normal notebook; however you will need room for images and descriptions and such,” Luna said, yawning widely and stretching her arms above her head. “Can you bare walking to the hotel? I don’t think my body is appreciating our current seat and I’d quite like to have a nap.”

Solis chuckled and pulled his head away from her shoulder, stretching his back until he heard a series of cracks and yawning himself. He shakily stood to his feet, holding out his arms to keep his balance as Luna followed suit. She slung one of his arms over her shoulder, supporting him from keeling over sideways.

“I think I can survive a few meters to a bed,” he chuckled, and they began to make their way towards the hotel, both looking a bit drunk as they tiredly weaved their way through the crowds of people. Many had come for the weekend farmers market, others to spend a few nights away from work most likely. And that’s judging by the multiple briefcases strewn about on chairs.

As they entered the courtyard to the hotel, they could hear distinct voices echoing from the open entrance way. Cor’s was the loudest of them, sometimes accentuated by a posh sounding person or the occasional grunt from someone else. Both Luna and Solis could practically _feel_ the stress emanating from the Marshall multiple metres away.

“They were meant to be here! Are you sure they just didn’t sneak in late and haven’t come down?” Cor practically shouted, and Luna and Solis glanced at each other in guilt. They hadn’t meant to be gone for so long and hadn’t thought Cor, Crowe and Nyx would be back so early.

“I’m sorry Mr Marshall—Cor, uh, Sir but I assure you that no one was in the room when we checked. Twice I might add,” someone else said, and Solis presumed it was one of the men behind the reception desk. He sounded as if he were shaking in his boots.

“Right, but then how do two people – two very important people, I might add – end up missing the minute we leave them alone?” Cor asked the man rhetorically.

“Because the two very important people had a very important thing to do,” Solis said as the two of them approached the reception. The amount of people crowded in the small space was surprising. About eight people – discounting the men behind the reception desk – crowded around the sofa in the middle of the room. The oak staircase took up a bit more with its extravagantness.

Cor jolted in surprise, but then frowned at the two of them. “Where’ve you two been?” he exclaimed, striding over to the two of them as Luna adjusted Solis’ arm over her shoulder. “You weren’t here when we came back, and I _specifically_ told you not to leave town.”

“Yeah, but we had a job to do,” Solis snapped back grumpily. The Marshall was blocking his way to a good nap, and Solis wanted to shove him over. Luna jabbed her elbow into Solis’ side, causing him to hiss and step on her foot childishly. “And it was one that did mean we had to leave town.”

“We do apologise Marshall, but Solis is correct in part,” Luna said, the diplomat within her creeping out slowly. “We had an urgent ‘errand’ you could call it that needed our immediate attention. We apologise if we worried you. Don’t we?”

Another jab to his side had Solis grumble a half-assed apology and Crowe and Nyx finally made their way over. Cor wandered back to the reception desk to book another room for the rest of their gathered party. “Good to see you in one piece, kid,” Nyx said, ruffling Solis’ already dishevelled hair, strands falling away from his ponytail.

“Yeah, yeah good to see you too Nyx. And would you stop calling me kid?! You’re only a few years older than me,” Solis complained, ducking away as Nyx tried again to mess with his hair. Crowe and Luna chuckled at their antics; the Oracle having let Solis stand up on his own.

“As long as I’m older than you, you’re always gonna be a kid,” Nyx jested, and Solis groaned in reluctant acceptance. The nickname wasn’t too bad, and Solis had gotten used to it. However, that didn’t mean he _had_ to like it.

On the other side of the room, Noctis clenched his hands into fists, his nails almost drawing blood. His blue eyes stared unwavering on the Acolyte across the room. He _had_ grown since the last time he’d seen the two of them. And it felt as if something had _clicked_ when Solis wandered through the door.

Every prince next in line for the throne, and every king are connected to the crystal. It’s a ritual that occurs when you come of age – at sixteen years old. Noctis could _feel_ his father’s magical aura when he connected. And, another that seemed muted almost. As if the taste was on the tip of his tongue but he couldn’t remember enough of it to conjure the whole thing.

The aura now practically engulfed him, the taste lathering his tongue and reminding him of the tarts he ate during his time in Tenebrae. It reminded him of Solis and Luna. But why? It didn’t make sense as neither were connected to the crystal, and neither had any relation to the crown unless—

There was something else. Regis had always seemed curious of the boy who ran around in blue combat boots – which Noctis now noticed had been changed for a purple pair. Noctis had always brushed away his father’s curiosity, thinking it was a precautionary move, but now he was questioning it again.

“Noct?” a quiet voice asked from beside him, jolting the prince from his thoughts. Ignis was leaning towards him, his green gaze scrutinising him carefully. “Are you alright?”

Noctis didn’t know whether to divulge his thoughts to his Advisor. Ignis had been his oldest friend and had kept many secrets which Noctis would gladly forget about. But would this be too big of a thing to keep secret? “Yeah, fine Ignis thanks,” Noctis said, beginning to wander over to the other half of their group. His friends followed closely behind.

“Looks like you’ve been through the wars,” Noctis said jokingly, ignoring the disapproving glare from behind him. He effectively gained the attention of the Glaives and their charges. Luna gracefully wandered over to the prince, wrapping her arms around his neck and holding him tightly against her.

“And looks like you’ve done nothing but sleep,” she snarked back, ruffling her hands through his hair playfully once she pulled back. Noctis swatted at her hands in indignation complaining and grumbling quietly as he attempted to fix it.

He slyly chanced a glance at the Acolyte through his bangs, taking in the hesitance in Solis’ stance. His brow was furrowed as one hand fiddled with the end of his ponytail. Noctis frowned in confusion, casting his gaze to Luna who wasn’t paying attention to much.

Solis didn’t know what to do. No, scratch that, he didn’t know what to do about the confrontation that faced him. He knew what he wanted to do and that was crawl up in a ball under cosy sheets and sleep for a thousand years. To do that however, he’d have to have the inevitable conversation that seemed to be on the tip of Noctis’ tongue.

He stepped forward and held out his hand. “It’s good to see you again, Noctis,” he said, grasping hold of the prince’s hand and shaking it deftly. He knew it wasn’t the best to stave what would happen, and he knew the greeting sounded constipated and forced as all hell, but he couldn’t think of anything to say his brain was so fried.

The prince didn’t seem to be taken aback, merely rolling his tongue as if trying to remember a taste. Solis pulled his hand back swiftly and turned to the Marshall and the two Glaives. “Can we please go to our room now? I feel as if I could sleep for weeks.” He could feel Luna nodding in agreement beside him and Cor was swift to grab the keys from the reception desk. Leading them swiftly up the stairs, Solis didn’t catch the inquisitive look on a bespectacled man that followed behind them, or the extremely determined one on the prince’s face.   

                                      _______________

Laughter filled the room behind him as Solis leaned his forearms against the railing of the balcony. It was cool out, and the glass resting in his fingers was refreshing against him skin, the drink even more so. He’d never had it before, and it burned his throat on the way down to his stomach. It didn’t hurt and he got used to it after a few sips.

Lestallum’s city twinkled in the blanket of night, and the light coming from the room behind him cast the table and chairs around him in shadow. Solis felt completely calm, at least, as calm as he could get considering Imperial soldiers could bash down the door any minute, kill the others and take him and Luna away—

“Hey, you ok?” Noctis asked him, wandering in from the room and laughter, jolting him from his spiralling train of thought. He too held a glass. “Looked like you were in your own little world.” He joined Solis, leaning his own forearms against the railing and both gazed out at the town below them.

“Why aren’t you inside?” Solis asked, taking another sip to hide the shakiness of his voice. He could hear the others behind them, and if he turned to look he would see most of them in groups.

Prompto – as Solis had learned their names earlier – was in a head to head battle of cards against Gladiolus – “Just Gladio is fine.” Crowe sat next to them, observing the game closely and their tactics. Her eyes bounced between the two of them, watching as one card after another was dropped.

Luna sat next to Cor and Ignis, quietly talking with the two men as she threaded her fingers through Iris’ brown hair. The two girls had hit it off immediately, and Solis liked that Luna was making so many friends. Solis kept his eyes on the town however, trying to drink in as much of the sight as he could. He never knew when he’d next get to see again.

Noctis shrugged his shoulders from beside him, nonchalant and calm. “Felt a bit too crowded. And I lost a hand against Gladio. Didn’t want to stay and watch him gloat,” he replied, scratching the back of his head with his hand.

“Ah, I see,” Solis said, and cast a sly eye to the prince beside him. He knew something bigger was happening between those two, hell everyone probably knew it. There was a connection that seemed to be more than Shield and Prince. But Solis stayed out of business that wasn’t his, so he kept quiet.

“I wanted to talk to you. Privately and I wasn’t entirely sure when I would get to,” Noctis began, almost hesitantly and Solis gulped down the dregs of his drink before nodding towards him. “I wanted to ask you something.”

The prince seemed nervous and Solis turned around, keeping his body language open and caring as he leant his elbows against the railing. His arms were starting to get a bit cold. “Shoot,” he said.

“Why can I Sense you?”  

The question threw Solis off, as the word ‘sense’ seemed to mean a lot than it was meant to you in the context Noctis was insinuating and he glanced at the prince in confusion. “What do you mean ‘Sense’?” Solis asked, dropping his glass on the table behind them.

“I can Sense magic connected to the crystal, magic connected to people,” Noctis replied. “I can sense Ignis’, Gladio’s, Prompto’s and at one point my dad could sense all the Glaives under his command.” He paused for a moment, swallowing the rest of his own drink. “Everyone has their own Sense, it’s like a flavour I can taste. And usually whenever I describe it to someone its difficult.”

“Give me as example,” Solis said, feeling his heartrate pick up as his nerves got the best of him. This was a bit sudden, and way sooner than Solis wanted. He knew that the secret would be out soon, but he wanted to do it with his mother with him, not all alone in a foreign country.

“My dad,” Noctis hesitated, took a breath and continued. “My dad had a specific Sense. It was like woodsmoke and something else, something I could never identify. And it was always there when I was around him, always on the back of my tongue.”

Noctis paused to take another drink, considering the view before him. “And then I met you,” he said, and Solis’ heart almost went into overdrive. “I met you and I gained another Sense, except, this one was sweeter than Dad’s and slightly less concentrated. And it tasted like those _stupid_ tarts you love so much.”

Solis snorted suddenly with laughter, shaking his head while his stomach seemed to call out with the rumble it gave. Noctis chortled too, turning his head so that his blue eyes met Solis’ own.

“I could never understand it. And then the Empire invaded, we went home, and the Sense almost disappeared, only coming back a few times during the years. And I never told _anyone_ about it, not even Dad,” Noctis admitted and turned his gaze away again. A gaze that, now he was up close and personal with Solis, reminded Noctis very much of his own; of his father’s.

“But then,” he continued, and Solis’ head snapped up. “You came back, both of you did. As did the Sense, and I couldn’t understand it. So why?” And at this the Prince fully turned to the Acolyte. “Why can I Sense you?”

Noctis’ gaze bore straight into Solis’ soul, as if he could see all of his secrets, his darkest fears; everything. He couldn’t imagine what was going through Noctis’ brain at that moment but, he knew he had to be straight with him, to tell him the truth. Rip it off like a band-aid and bare the consequences like a man.

Solis heaved a huge sigh, the air escaping his lips quickly as he fidgeted with his hands. “It was before your mother, hell, it was before your dad became king,” he began, and didn’t dare to call Regis his own father. He couldn’t, he’d only known the man for a few months. “A Prince visited Tenebrae, his father intent on signing a deal with the Queen to marry his son to one of her daughters and effectively a peace treaty between the two countries.”

Noctis leant his hip against the railing, crossing his arms as he listened. “There was a dinner, the usual affair; drinks, food, dancing and when it was over, the prince went to bed drunk and half asleep. What happened next, no one was sure about. Whether the Prince thought the girl was his Princess, or whether she was in the wrong place at the wrong time. But he bedded her, although she went along with it willingly.”

“The King and Prince left the next day, the Princess married the Prince and they lived in a far off city, away from the girl, who now held a baby in her stomach. One that could tip the scales of the Prince’s influence if she so chose. She kept the baby secret, however, raising him on her own alongside the Princess. And the rest, as they say, is history.”

Solis kept his eyes on his hands, not daring to glance at Noctis’ countenance. “So,” the Prince started, hesitantly. “You’re effectively saying you’re my, my brother?” The amount of confusion in his voice shocked Solis slightly, but nevertheless, he nodded his head.

He could hear the cogs in Noctis’ head turning as he took it all in. “Half,” Solis suddenly said.

“What?” Noctis asked, casting his eyes to the Acolyte, who now stared determinedly into his own.

“I’m your half-brother, you are the heir to the line of Kings, I’m just the kid who was the result of a heated night. I don’t hold any claim to the throne,” Solis said, almost bitterly. He didn’t even _want_ to sit on a glorified chair – which was probably uncomfortable anyway – and rule an entire kingdom. He’s had a hard time keeping himself in check much rather millions of people.

“So, if I can Sense you, that means you’re connected to the crystal,” Noctis suddenly piped up, drawing Solis from his thoughts abruptly. “Which must be how you can aid Luna with her duties, your magic!” Solis furrowed his brows in indecision.

“If that explains the shape and colour of my magic then yay me,” he said sullenly. He didn’t want to sit on the throne _or_ be influenced by the big rock that somehow mostly started this whole mess in the first place. He dropped his arms to his sides from where they’d been fidgeting. His thumb was beginning to bleed from him picking at it.

Noctis suddenly stuck out his hand towards Solis, surprising the boy slightly. He glanced down at the Prince’s hand and back up to his face multiple times before the boy sighed in annoyance. “Just, take my hand. You’ll see what I’m doing in a minute.” And Noctis shook his hand again.

Solis hesitantly grabbed hold of Noctis’ hand, marvelled at how rough they felt, and suddenly a sensation awoke in the back in the back of his head and the taste of something sweet, yet savoury on his tongue. His eyes widened and his breath was swept from his lungs in shock. But, as soon as it was there, it was gone again as Noctis pulled his hand back.

“That’s Sensing, it’s a person’s magical essence manifested into something that our senses can feel. For me, and you it seems, it’s taste. For Dad it was smell. He said I smelt like something savoury and sweet,” Noctis explained and Solis nodded his head eagerly.

“That’s what I got too!” he said almost giddily, grinning widely. It felt as if a large weight was lifted from his shoulders. There was no shouting, no hatred and Noctis seemed to slip back into the comfort of their friendship from when they were kids. And Solis was happy to oblige.

“Hey, you two get in here.” Cor’s voice drew the two boys inside, and the Marshall stood over a map spread over the table. “I have a plan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha guess who's been sick for five days and yet got the energy to post this? 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this one guys. It's starting to get good now!


	11. Monster on the loose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chocobo fun, and a battle with a monster.

The truck rattled as it trundled down the highway. It was gloriously sunny, and Solis leant his head out the window to catch what sunlight he could. He felt completely at peace, and he couldn’t remember the last time he felt this _good_.

Prompto sat in front of him, humming gently and riding shotgun beside Ignis who clutched the steering wheel with his gloved hands. Gladio sat beside Solis, leisurely turning the pages of his book and if Solis strained his ears he could hear Noctis and Luna chatting in the bed of the truck. He smiled lazily, watching the trees fly past him.

“I meant to ask this before,” Solis began, cutting off Prompto’s humming as he turned around in his seat to get a better view of Solis. Gladio even dropped his book and the Acolyte blushed slightly at the amount of attention suddenly given to him. “W-What’s a chocobo?” he asked hesitantly.

Gladio attempted to contain his laughter as he picked his book back up again. Ignis glanced in the rear-view mirror to see whether the boy was being completely honest. Prompto’s reaction was priceless, and if he had a camera Solis would’ve loved a photo.

His jaw hung open as he scrambled for his phone. Solis guessed he was going to pull out a photo for him to see but was proven wrong when Prompto held his phone up to his ear. Behind him, Solis could hear Noctis’ phone ringing.

“Yeah?” the Prince asked in confusion, which he rightly should be; Prompto was right behind him and could shout at him from the window. He had to hold his phone away from his ear as the blonde on the other end shrieked at him.

“Solis doesn’t know what a chocobo is?!” he shouted, and Solis clutched at his ears at the pitch. Luna commented she didn’t either and Prompto screeched again. “We are going to the chocobo post _right now_!”

“Prom, that’s where we were heading anyway,” Noctis commented, sticking his head through the sliding window by Solis’ head so they could hear him better. “Chill.”

“I can’t be _chill_?!” Prompto almost shrieked.

“What did you _think_ a chocobo was?” he asked one he had calmed down. Solis glanced back at Luna who shrugged at him from the bed of the truck.

“Luna thought they were little cute animals you could hold in a purse and carry around,” Solis said, and Prompto squeaked which earned him a sharp look from Ignis. “I thought they were animals big enough to ride with snouts and fur and claws. They’d look really cool in my opinion.”

Prompto spluttered again, seemingly unable to form a sentence as he took in what Solis was telling him. “Cute little- what?! And claws- okay no, I will not allow this,” Prompto said, jabbing his finger in front of Solis’ face and darting it between him and Luna. “You two are going to be the first to ride the chocobos when we get there.”

“Which might not be long now. We’re almost there,” Ignis suddenly piped up, and Prompto grinned widely, turning back in his seat to glance at the sign for the post whizzing past. Solis glanced at the rear-view mirror himself, spotting Ignis’ green graze on him. He nodded his head, mouthing a thank you as Ignis’ lips quirked up in a smile.

Prompto was the first out of the truck, almost jumping out of the vehicle as the others calmly climbed out. The post itself was surrounded by tall trees with a few buildings scattered around the place. Pens and fences stood here and there, with harnesses tied to them for the chocobos. However, there were none. And the post was as silent as a grave.

Solis wandered forward, frowning at the lack of customers as well as the others wandered up behind them. “Where is everyone?” he asked rhetorically, and Luna came to stand beside him.

“More importantly, where are all the chocobos?!” Prompto asked almost hysterically. Solis patted his shoulder in mock comfort as an older man wandered up to them. Crowe’s hand inched towards her belt, and Solis gave her a wary glance.

“Hullo there!” the man said, and he chuckled at the sight of the group. “’Aven’t seen this many city-folk for a while now. You kids passin’ through?” he asked good naturedly and Ignis stepped forward.

“No, we were looking to rent some birds for the day, if that is at all possible?” Ignis asked, diplomatically. The fact that you had to rent one was weird to Solis; why not just buy one and keep it with you? It would be like having Umbra and Pryna all the time. Solis was beginning to miss those pups.

The man – whom Solis supposed was Wiz – sighed and shook his head in disappointment. “I’m ‘fraid you kids came at the wrong time. I’m not lettin’ any of my birds out; Deadeye’s on the loose,” he said, pointing to a yellowing sheet of paper pinned onto a notice board.

“What’s a Deadeye?” Solis whispered to Luna as the other five went to take a closer look at the notice, and she shrugged in reply. The rest seemed to discuss what to do amongst themselves, leaving the Oracle and Acolyte out of the conversation. ‘Rude,’ Solis thought.

“We can take it,” Noctis exclaimed, wandering over to the man with the sheet of paper in hand. Wiz didn’t seem so confident about that, glancing from the notice to the rest of them unsurely.

“You sure son? Deadeye’s a nasty piece o’ work, you’d have to track ‘im then take ‘im down,” Wiz said, and it clicked in Solis’ head; Deadeye was an animal. And a big one if he was causing this much panic amongst the birds. “Alrigh’ then, his lairs to the east o’ the post. Best be back ‘fore dark.” And whatever that piece of paper was, they’d now been employed to take down the beast as Ignis handed back the sheet of paper and Wiz tipped his cap.

Solis was very against this idea. Very much so against this idea. But, he didn’t want to be left behind and miss the action either. He needed training, felt as if he was beginning to slack slightly and there was no way Luna was going to sit at the post and wait for them if he asked her to. So, the two followed along behind as the others led them towards the beast’s lair.

Noctis led the way threw a series of rock corridors, the birds suddenly going quiet the deeper in they went. It was eerie; the fog swishing against their ankles limiting their vision as they continued onwards. No one had taken out their weapons yet, but Solis’ fingers were itching to take out his staff.

They encountered a few sabertusks, which they skirted past quickly to avoid injury. Solis stuck close to Luna and Ignis, glancing at the Oracle every now and then. Luna seemed absolutely focused on the task at hand, crouched slightly as her boots tread the dead leaves underfoot.

They soon approached a makeshift tunnel, made from sheets of metal and bars that had long since rusted. Gladio darted forward suddenly, taking hold of Noctis’ shoulder before he could go any further. Solis frowned as the Shield turned, his forefinger pressed to his lips. Solis listened.

A growl, deep and vibrating through his bones reached Solis’ ears and Gladio beckoned them forward slowly. All of them crouched to fit, shuffling along in a single file. Solis’ heart was racing at this point, breathing slightly shallow and hands shaking. Deadeye was _right there_ ; he could see the beasts giant body only a few metres away from them.

Noctis shuffled forward a little bit, a pile of dislodged stones catching the beasts hearing. He roared, loudly, causing Solis and the others to clutch at their heads. But none made a noise and the behemoth continued on, his great swinging tail almost destroying their hiding place.

“Oh shit,” Solis whispered, and he could feel Luna’s glare at the back of his head. “Sorry, excuse my language,” he sarcastically whispered over his shoulder and moved forward with the others.

Following Deadeye was possibly the scariest thing Solis thought he’d done that week; and that was including facing against a sleeping god. The fact that the animal could turn, possibly and easily seeing them – and effectively gobble them up for dinner – was downright terrifying to the Acolyte. But he didn’t say a word.

The fog was thick by the time they got to the beasts lair, and even then he wasn’t even there; he’d jumped over the side of the rock and had gone somewhere. Solis hoped he’d gone to find a meal so that when they fought him he wouldn’t be hungry.

“Stop being so dramatic,” Luna said to him. Solis turned to her with an incredulous frown on his face. “I can see you thinking up the most bizarre situations we could get into, don’t try to lie.” Luna looked at him knowingly and Solis sighed, drooping his head slightly.

“Ok, faster we do this, faster we can get back to Wiz,” Gladio said, pulling out a broadsword easily as tall as his legs from nowhere in a blur of blue light. Solis noticed that Ignis and Prompto did the same, pulling out a pair of knives and two guns respectively.

Solis blinked in shock and glanced at Noctis who pulled a short sword from out of nowhere, smirking in pride as the flabbergasted Acolyte. Right, so that was how his brother – wow it felt strange to call him that. Maybe he shouldn’t – was going to play it.

“Ready?” Solis asked Luna and she nodded in determination. Although their ‘light-show’ that came with them pulling out their weapons wasn’t as flashy, the tools themselves made up for the extravagantness they lost.

Luna’s trident now almost stood as tall as her, intricately designed and flawlessly balanced to suit Luna and her fighting style. Solis’ staff was easily taller than him, although that gave him a wider reach and ability for long range fighting. The blade within the polished rosewood slipped out flawlessly when Solis held it just so, and he smirked at the other four in triumph.

Crowe snickered at the amount of posturing going on, effectively pulling everyone’s attention to her. “Do we have a plan?” she asked, and anything Ignis was going to say was cut off. Deadeye was back, and his roar this time carried for miles as he leapt down from the ridge he stood on.

The seven of them scattered quickly, spreading out around the available space. “Let me think for a moment, keep the beast distracted,” Ignis called out, stepping back slightly as the behemoth’s tail got a bit too close for comfort.

“How?” Prompto shouted from the other side of the clearing where he was stationed on a rock, pistols held up in both hands. Solis glanced around to double check the others were okay. He counted seven heads out of seven.

“Like this!” Gladio suddenly cried, running towards the big animal with Noctis not too far behind. Solis prayed to Shiva and all the gods he knew before he too dove into the fray.

Noctis and Gladio were doing a tag-teamed offense, one slashing at Deadeye’s legs to make it stumble and the other jumping in with a hard blow to his joints to send him tumbling. Solis could spot Ignis out of the corner of his eye, darting in and out of the mass of bodies, slashing neatly and flitting away again.

Gunshots behind him signified Prompto providing them with cover and Crowe strategically hit the beast at key points with bursts of magic, ones Solis had never seen before. He didn’t get a proper chance to look however as a ginormous paw bore down upon him and he scuttled out of the way to avoid being squished.

“Luna, need a bit of help here,” he called to her, and she jogged over to help, jabbing at the behemoth’s hard skin with her trident while avoiding those claws – holy shit they’re big. Solis thrust his own weapon into the underside of the beasts extremity as it was brought up from the ground in pain.

The fight continued much in the same way; a lot of ducking and dodging. Well, for Solis at least. He didn’t get a chance to see how the others were doing while attempting to keep himself whole and safe. Deadeye’s loud roars shook the trees around him, and Solis realised they were only pissing him off.

“We need a plan, like right now! This isn’t doing anything!” he shouted to the rest of the group, slashing at the beasts legs with the blade at the end of his staff and darting away again. He could feel himself becoming exhausted as he danced around the behemoth. He wanted his bed, and rest, and some nice hot soup—Claw!

Solis dashed away before Deadeye’s front claw could cleave him in two. He rolled to recover, coming up beside Prompto who was still valiantly providing covering fire. From where he crouched, Solis could see Luna and Crowe working together to bring down Deadeye’s front legs, switching places every few seconds to get hits in at weakened spots.

“Ignis! Some instructions would be good about now!” Noctis cried from where he’d warped up to a hanging point. Solis gazed in awe at the Prince and definitely didn’t wish he could do that. Not at all. Solis spotted the Advisor on the other side of the clearing, sending his knives at the beast.

“Everyone fall back!” he shouted, swiping down with his hand as everyone converged on him. Solis crouched beside Ignis, hand clutching his staff as he waited for instructions. “There are clusters of oil barrels around here, which we could use to take down Deadeye,” Ignis explained.

“How?” Solis asked in confusion, his blue eyes spotting the barrels mentioned which were scattered about the place.

“Lure them in, light ‘em up?” Noctis asked his Advisor, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips, a suspicious twinkle appearing in his eyes as he pulled out an orb from his pocket. When Solis looked at Ignis, he swore he could see mirth and mischief in his green.

“Precisely,” Ignis replied, and the rest of them spread out.

The key thing with this plan, Solis found, was to lure Deadeye into the perfect place and get out before the explosion knocked you backwards. However, it was harder to lure a big animal to a specific place than Solis thought. It seemed even harder for Noctis and Ignis to aim at the barrels with a lumbering giant blocking their trajectory.

Solis shouted and waved his arms to gain Deadeye’s attention, Ignis standing behind him with a fire spell at the ready. The beast turned his head, eyes almost glowing red with anger as he began to charge towards the Acolyte. Solis watched until the behemoth was just at the cluster of barrels he stood before and jumped out of the way.

Ignis threw the fire spell, and the effect was instantaneous. A loud explosion of noise filled the clearing, the force of it shaking the trees at the edge and the heat that rolled over Solis was so intense he thought he was back in the Disk of Cauthess. The roars of pain died down and Solis took a glance at the damage.

Deadeye lay on his side, heavily burned and completely still. Ignis clapped his hands together to get rid of the dust and dirt on his gloves as the others wandered over.

“Finally, thought he’d never stop charging us,” Luna commented, taking off her shoe and shaking out a loose stone.

“He was a tough bastard, no wonder the chocobos were spooked,” Gladio commented, stretching his arms to the sky until the bones popped.

“Best be getting back. It should be dark soon,” Ignis said, glancing up at the setting sun and then down to his watch. It was nearing dusk and Solis suddenly realised how tired he was as exhaustion began to settle in his bones. The Advisor glanced at all of them sceptically taking in their tired visages.

“Guess we better get moving then. There’s an opening at the other end of the clearing over there,” Gladio said, pointing in the direction he meant as he slyly put away his map. That got them moving and the group gratefully trundled over to the shortcut.

“You ok?” Solis asked Luna who leant against his side as he threw an arm over her shoulder in support. His legs were beginning to feel like jelly, and he yawned widely. Luna wasn’t fairing much better as she blearily and tiredly blinked her eyes as she glanced up to him.

“Quite. I just need a nice, long sleep on a soft bed,” she replied and Prompto hummed in agreement. Noctis didn’t say a word, but the slumped shoulders and feet being dragged behind him said it all. Solis chuckled at the Prince’s ruffled state, although he must be feeling as tired as Solis did.

They walked in comfortable silence, the sounds of birds which Solis didn’t even know were missing returned and the bright lights from the chocobo post was a blessing to all of them. Solis spotted Wiz wandering towards them, hat bunched in his fist.

“I was wonderin’ what happened to ya,” he said. “There was so much caterwaulin’ I was about ta send out some o’ my guys in after ya.” He glanced over all of them, checking their scuffed up clothing and exhausted faces. “Let me whip something up for ya.” He turned to go inside but Ignis stepped forward.

“That’s quite alright,” Ignis replied. “If we can avail of your campervan that would be perfect.” Wiz willingly obliged and handed over the money he owed them for the hunt. Gladio pulled out the awning and placed the plastic table and chairs out for them to sit on, one of which Solis gratefully slumped into.

Ignis disappeared into the kitchen to cook. The others (helpfully) stayed outside. Noctis and Prompto battled against each other on a mobile game, Gladio read his book, Luna snoozed, and Solis attempted to sketch a flower he’d found on the way back onto a spare piece of paper. Attempted being the key word.

He glanced at it critically, his blue eyes darting up towards the plant and back down to the page. Something was wrong with his drawing; like he was missing something.

“You’re missing a petal,” a voice said behind him, and Solis jumped, half closing his book. He glanced down at the plant between his fingers and counted in his head. Ignis was right; he’d drawn six petals but there was seven on the flower; one had sneakily hidden behind another. Said Advisor placed a plate in front of him, moving off to hand the others their dinners before taking a seat beside Solis.

“Thanks,” Solis grinned, quickly, and quite messily, sketching out another petal before slipping the drawing and his pencil into his pocket. Cor said he’d try to find him a notebook to turn into a field journal on their way to the Hunter’s headquarters. For now, Solis would have to make do with what was available to him.

A lovely aroma wafted from their plates where a medley of vegetables sat on a bed of white rice. Solis could spy some kind of curry sauce and his mouth watered at the sight of it. “Oh my gods, this looks so good,” he said, eagerly pulling his seat forward to get closer to the table.

“I’m glad,” Ignis said, as he carefully glanced at Noctis. The prince looked at the amount of greenery on his plate and carefully flickered his gaze towards Solis beside him. His brother – Noctis still found that crazy to think he had a brother – was practically drooling at the food in front of him and if Noctis planned it right he could slip some of his vegetables to Solis.

Ignis sighed quietly at the Prince’s scheming look and proceeded to tuck into his own food. There wasn’t much talking after that, the sounds of food being eaten filling the space in between the silence. Solis almost groaned while he ate, the amount of flavour being packed into such a small dish astounding him.

Once he’d finished, he laid back in his seat and turned to the cook. “Ignis, I will build shrines in your honour and worship you as the cooking god. Please make that again?” he asked, and the others chuckled at his antics.

“Yeah, and I’ll stop calling you Specs and will help more in the kitchen if you _don’t_ make that again,” Noctis cut in, pushing his unfinished plate away from him. Which Solis then snatched and polished off.

“That’s not even his best dish dude,” Prompto told him and Solis’ eyes sparkled at the thought of something better than what he just ate. The group laughed at his expression, and their happiness carried itself into the warm night air.

Solis could happily say he’d never felt so domestic in his life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops almost forgot to post this. Although tbh I was watching Batman Begins so could you blame me? Also school's been biting me in the ass this week because of midterms. 
> 
> Ugh. I need a break. And tea. Lots and lots of tea.


	12. Fun and Games

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3000 words of pure unadulterated fluff. That's it. That's the chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hehe. 
> 
> Sorry its late. Here have some fluff for your Tuesday, to cheer you up. 
> 
> <3

For once, Solis got to sleep in. And by slept in, it meant he didn’t arise and stick his head out of the campervan until about eleven thirty the next morning, almost bordering on twelve. The rest of them were all happily surrounding the plastic table, either sipping on a cup of coffee or tapping away at their phones.

“Morning,” Solis yawned, stretching his arms up to work out the kinks in his back. The others greeted him back as he flopped into a seat next to Prompto, leaning over to get a look at the game the blonde was playing against Noctis. Prompto was winning.

“So, what’s planned for today?” Solis asked, stealing Luna’s coffee sneakily and taking a sip. Bit cold, but it’d do. He glanced at Ignis who sat across from him, and then his blue eyes whizzed over the others when the Advisor glanced up at him.

“I need to restock on our potions as we are running out, but that can easily be done in the shop,” Ignis said, pulling out a notebook from his pocket and opening it to one of the back pages. “We also need to check in with Cor and Nyx to see how they’re getting on with the Hunters.”

“When did they say they’d be back?” Noctis asked, casually fiddling with his phone in his lap.

“They did say it would take a few days to search for other Glaives as Lucis is a big country. However, it hopefully shouldn’t take more than a week,” Ignis replied, scribbling something down on the page in front of him. “There is also the problem that we’re running out of ing—”

A loud cry sounded behind them, scaring Solis out of his chair as he fell to the floor in shock. There was silence for a few seconds until the Acolyte’s head popped back up again. Gladio began to roar with laughter, Luna giggled, Prompto practically cackled, Noctis chortled and Ignis chuckled. Crowe rolled her eyes. “Shit-stickers,” Solis exclaimed breathlessly, “what was that?”

“That is a chocobo,” Prompto said once he calmed down, pointing to something behind Solis and the Acolyte whipped round in his chair. His blue eyes landed on a big yellow thing; its feathers puffed up as if it had gotten spooked. It didn’t turn around so Solis couldn’t get a proper look at it.

“Ha! I was right! They _are_ big enough to ride!” he cried out joyously, pointing at Luna in triumph.

“Yes, but you did say they had a snout, claws and teeth,” she replied, “and it doesn’t look like it had any of them.” Solis stuck out his tongue at her childishly.

“Right, well there isn’t much we _have_ to do,” Ignis told them, tucking his notebook and pencil back in his pocket easily. Solis stared at him. They didn’t have to do anything. So, did that mean no fighting? No hunts? Not having to do anything?

“Wait, does that mean I don’t have to get up early?” Solis asked in astonishment, glancing at the rest of them for confirmation.

“Well if you want to keep missing breakfast, then yeah,” Noctis told him, and Solis suddenly took notice of the empty plate in front of him and the lingering scent of omelette and rice. He groaned internally. ‘Stupid sleep, stupid stomach for not waking me up,’ he thought to himself. His stomach mourned its loss but wasn’t allowed to dwell on it as Prompto abruptly stood from his seat.

“Right, well. If that’s all I’m going to take these two,” and at that he grabbed Solis’ and Luna’s wrists, hauling them from their seats, “to ride their first chocobo.” He dragged them back to the main courtyard of the post and the others pushed back their chairs.

“I’ve been dying to see this,” Crowe said eagerly, grinning cheekily at Solis once she caught up to them. Noctis’ mouth pulled up in a smirk as he and Gladio hung back and Ignis finally followed them with a weary sigh.

“You’re only dying to see me fall off a giant beast,” Solis exclaimed to the Kingsglaive. “You’re not at all worried for my wellbeing.” He pouted childishly as the others laughed again. Prompto finally let go of their arms and skipped over to a nice looking lady in a cap.

“What, you’re actually scared of falling off?” Noctis asked incredulously, his eyebrows raised.

“Uh, is that a trick question? You do realise you’re talking to a person who has never ridden a- holy shit that’s a big ass bird!” Solis exclaimed, catching Luna’s attention from where she was chattering with Gladio beside him.

“Solis, language,” she scolded as the Acolyte cautiously made his way over to the animal. Prompto held onto the harness securely as he beamed at the starstruck man in front of him.

“Solis, this is a chocobo. His name is Kwehvin,” Prompto introduced and the chocobo ruffled his feathers titling its head from side to side. Solis hadn’t moved, and his hand hesitantly hovered as if he wanted to pet him.

“Can I?” he asked hesitantly, looking from Prompto to the bird questioningly. Prompto nodded in encouragement and Solis stepped forward, laying his hand on the birds neck and stroking its feathers. They were so _soft,_ like the blanket Solis had had when he was a kid. He was wary of placing the feathers in the wrong direction with his petting and suddenly the bird inched forward.

He took the direction and began to scratch where his hand lay, and the chocobo closed his eyes in content. “Hey, he likes you!” Prompto said quietly, not wanting to spook Kwehvin and send him running.

“He’s so soft. Luna come pet him!” Solis whisper shouted, not wanting to raise his own voice any louder. He didn’t know what Kwehvin would do if he suddenly got scared. Solis expected the worst case scenario was he’d get a face full of talons.

“I’ve already got my hands full,” came the reply, and Solis glanced over to see Luna with her own hands buried in feathers. These ones were pink and the chocobo was lovingly nibbling at her hair. Solis chuckled and returned to petting his own chocobo for a bit.

“You guys ready?” Prompto asked, and Solis turned to see he was sitting upon his own chocobo, reins held loosely in his hands. The others were up as well, Gladio and Noctis already heading for one of the many forest tracks. Solis glanced at Kwehvin’s back and finally noticed the saddle tied there. He blanched slightly in fear as he glanced to Luna.

“How’re you already up?!” he squawked, and Kwehvin agreed, ruffling his wings as Solis gazed up at the Oracle. Luna smiled sweetly down at him, not bothering to answer as he made his way to his own saddle. He stared at it, the stirrup almost seeming dauntingly high.

He clutched the reins tight in his fist, placing his foot in the stirrup and glanced at Kwehvin. The bird didn’t move, and he leant his weight against the saddle by his arms before hoisting half his weight onto it. Kwehvin shuffled then, causing Solis to slip slightly and almost fall on his ass. Prompto laughed and Luna giggled and behind him, Ignis smiled in amusement.

Solis tried again, this time getting all the way up until he was shakily balanced on the birds back. Prompto slowly trotted over to him as Kwehvin shuffled in place, getting used to Solis’ weight. “Right, you’ll need to not clench his sides with your legs, that just throws him off balance,” Prompto advised, and Solis glanced down to his tense thighs.

“What if I unbalance and fall off?” he asked fearfully, glancing down at the long drop below him.

“Don’t worry, the chocobo knows what to do, and I don’t think he’ll even let you fall off,” Prompto replied encouragingly, and Solis slowly relaxed his legs. Kwehvin settled suddenly, becoming calmer the second Solis relaxed.

“Good. Now you’ll need to keep your back straight, and hold your reins like you’re holding a cup,” Prompto advised, and Solis adjusted accordingly. He found he could sit on Kwehvin’s back easier now, settling into the seat as he sat up straight.

“Great! Now, just kick your heals gently and Kwehvin will follow the others,” Prompto said, kicking his own feet and setting off at a slow walk. Solis gently nudged Kwehvin’s sides with his heels, bracing himself for the bird to shoot off. That didn’t happen though and the chocobo eased itself into a graceful walk.

It felt weird, rocking back and forth upon a gigantic bird, and definitely what Solis thought he’d be doing on this adventure. He gently eased his fingers into Kwehvin’s soft feathers, stroking them as they meandered through the trees. Luna stuck close to him, and he could see Gladio and Noctis in the distance.

“You doing okay there Solis?” Prompto asked from where he’d halted his own bird to wait for them. Ignis from beside him watched as the Oracle and Acolyte gradually made their way towards them.

Solis grinned at the two of them. “Yep! Peachy keen. Just need to get used to having to trust someone else to do the walking for me,” he laughed, patting Kwehvin gently on the neck as the chocobo pulled to a stop next to them.

“Well, we’re going to have to pick up the speed a bit. There’s a steep incline coming up and the birds wouldn’t be able to walk us up. You ok if we do that?” Prompto explained, and Solis’ grip tightened on the reins. He glanced at the path in front of them, spotting the hill for himself. Gladio and Noctis were already halfway up and didn’t look like they were waiting for them.

“Y-Yeah,” Solis replied shakily, and Prompto nodded, leading the three of them along the trail once again.

“You alright there Solis?” Ignis suddenly asked as their birds began to trot, and the Acolyte clutched hold of his bird for dear life as he bounced on his back.

“Y-Yeah fine Ignis. Why do you a-ask?” Solis replied, attempting to get a rhythm going so he didn’t bounce on his balls as much as he was. Ignis didn’t reply, and Solis didn’t notice the sly glances he was shooting at his bright red complexion.

                             ___________________

“Oh my gods Solis you’re cheating!” Prompto exclaimed, pointing at the card the Acolyte was slyly slipping up his sleeve. Solis froze, glancing at the others and sliding the card back into his own hand, whistling nonchalantly and casting his gaze away from anyone else’s.

Prompto glared at him weakly, taking a sip from his beer bottle as the game continued. It was only them playing cards, Ignis stood in the kitchen prepping dinner and Luna sat reading a book she borrowed from Gladio. The Shield seemed too busy wrapped around Noctis’ little finger as the prince sat in his lap, looking as much as a cat that got the cream.

Noctis had approached his big brother two days after Solis and Luna had joined their little fellowship, standing tall and straight with determination with his face holding all of the laid back attitude he usually held.

They’d stopped off at a gas station for a few minutes to grab petrol, some extra ingredients Ignis needed and to restock on the potions they’d used. Solis had found a nice nook in the sun, leaning on his hands behind his back as he turned his face towards the heat. Noctis had to clear his throat to get Solis’ attention.

“Hey,” he’d said, “can we talk?” And Solis had gestured to the open space beside him which Noctis gracelessly sat in. Noctis hated confrontation as much as Solis did, or as far as Noctis could gather with the big reveal he’d turned into story time. So to have to talk about his love life with someone he’d only spent a year with when he was younger was scary. But Noctis felt as if he could trust Solis.

“I wanted to let you know about Gladio and I,” he began, fiddling with the hem on his jeans as he spoke. “In case you were going to get uncomfortable around us and blow up about it later.”

“Noctis.” And Solis had turned to him, looked him dead in the eye – ones that looked so familiar yet different to Noctis – and had said, “I’m gay.”

Suffice to say, Noctis spent the next few seconds spluttering until he could gather some sense of syntax to answer. “So, what’s going on between me and Gladio…?”

“Noticed within the first half an hour being with all of you,” Solis replied, and grinned cheekily. “So, my little brother swings the same way I do,” he’d joked and Noctis had punched his arm hard, sending Solis tumbling to the floor, cackling.

Solis held his own beer bottle between his fingers in his left hand, his cards held loosely in his right. The alcohol was slowly starting to set in, and a cosy buzz was surrounding his senses. “Do you have any sixes?” Solis asked, placing down his pair of knights on the table.

“Catfish,” Prompto replied and Solis groaned in annoyance as he picked up yet another card. He inwardly cheered however as he picked the card he was trying to sneak away and put it and its partner down on the table. “Do you have any kings?”

“Damn, my last one,” Solis hissed, passing the card over the table to the smirking Prompto. Solis contemplated the hand of cards he held and the dwindling pile on the table between them. He thought for a moment, opening and closing his mouth as he revaluate his choice.

“Dude come on. Not getting any younger over here,” Prompto joked, startling the Acolyte out of his thoughts.

“Right, sorry, got any tens?” he asked, and the game continued much the same, the boys only pausing when Ignis carried out the first of the dinner plates.

Prompto cheered loudly once he’d spotted what it was, and Solis connected that it was the famed green curry soup the blonde loved so much. Luna placed down her book and Gladio practically tossed the prince into his own seat once Ignis had brought out all the plates, taking his own seat next to Solis.

“This looks _good_ ,” Solis praised, clutching the bowl to his chest so he didn’t spill down his freshly washed shirt. The others hummed in agreement as they began eating.

“Anything from the others?” Crowe piped up from her seat, and all eyes turned to her.

“I’ve not received any messages as of late, although we weren’t expecting anything till the end of the week,” Ignis explained, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he placed his bowl down on the table. Crowe blushed as she realised that the query had already been asked and answered; that she was just getting Ignis to repeat what he’d already said.

“Means more relaxing time for us,” Gladio hummed, sneaking a glance to Noctis as he took a slurp from his bowl and coming back up with a rim of liquid around his mouth.

Solis leant back in his chair, crossing his legs under the table and tipping his head back to the evening sun. Luna suddenly reached over to stroke her fingers through his hair which had been left out of the ponytail. “It needs a cut,” she murmured, and Solis tilted his head into her fingers.

“It needs a trim not a cut, I’m not getting my luscious hair cut anytime soon,” Solis replied, bringing his head back up to stare incredulously – and jokingly – at the Oracle. Luna shook her head, chuckling as she pulled her hand away.

Something crashed behind them suddenly, eliciting a _kweh_ from one of the chocobos and causing Solis to yelp and jerk his knee into the table, hard. It didn’t fall over, surprisingly but it did upend the rest of Ignis’ soup all over his shirt.

Solis stood apologising profusely and flailing around desperately to figure out what to do. “I’m so sorry Ignis,” he told the Advisor while the others did nothing but laugh. Solis sent them all a scathing yet mortified glare while Ignis gently pushed his hands away.

“It’s quite alright,” Ignis replied. “After all, not something a little turn in the wash won’t fix.” He smiled at the Acolyte and turned to make his way into the campervan again. Solis collapsed into his chair, a light blush dusting his cheeks as he buried his head in his hands.

“Oh gods, that was so bad,” he moaned once the others calmed down, and Prompto had stopped wiping the tears from his eyes. Solis had always been clumsy, but not that clumsy that he caused food to be spilt onto someone. Let alone hot food. He glanced to the light illuminating the camper van’s first window.

“I should go check on him,” he said after a few minutes, standing from his chair and heading to the door. Which was ajar. Solis pushed it open to let himself in.

“Ignis, I’m really sorry do you need help with…” Solis’ sentence tapered off as his blue eyes roved around the sight before him.

Ignis stood over one of the duffle bags Noctis had pulled from the armiger, wet shirt held loosely in his hand while the other rummaged around in the bags depths. Solis could feel his cheeks turning bright pink as his blue eyes went higher to Ignis’ chest.

His very bare chest, with his very bare _and muscled_ torso. ‘Oh gods bless my little gay heart,’ Solis thought. He’d always read in the books that he found in his mums room – which he always wondered how she acquired – that a man’s abs could be described as being cut from marble. That was Ignis. And the sight of the man half naked and now looking at Solis _oh shit_.

It made heat pool at the base of Solis’ stomach, hot and needy and—

“Everything alright Solis?” Ignis asked, his deep, sultry, accented voice doing nothing to ease Solis’ growing arousal.

He attempted to clear his throat. “Ye-Yeah I’m fine, sorry. I was just checking on you. I-I’ll leave you to it,” he replied, scurrying out of the campervan in haste and taking his seat again. He covered his face with his hand as he attempted to calm himself down.

This was yet another situation where he wished he had a camera. The others glanced at him knowingly.


	13. And so it Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emotional constipation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is one of the shortest chapters. But, plans are made and crushes are discussed so, hopefully that'll make up for it. (And the fact its a day late whoops).

Luna broached the subject of his interest – crush – with Ignis while they were tending to the chocobos. Both were dressed in trousers and simple t-shirts leant to them by Prompto. Wiz had asked them to clean out the stables, feed the chocobos and brush them down before they were rented out.

Solis was dealing with a stubborn bird at the time, the chocobo moving out of his range constantly whenever he attempted to pull the brush through his feathers. Luna stood calmly by her own, plucking out the broken feathers on the chocobo gently to make way for new ones.

“So,” she had begun, patting the birds flank to move and let her out of the stable. “Any developments with Ignis?” she had said, not glancing up from where she was retrieving the food to put into the chocobo’s trough.

Solis had glanced at her warily, his mind quickly flashing back to the Incident two days before hand. He fiddled with the brush as he joined her, giving up on grooming the bird. “There’s no development, there’s nothing there to develop,” he countered, avoiding contact and trying desperately to tamp down on the blush that was surely making its way to his cheeks.

“Oh, well I thought what with how often you look at him, and the way you always seem to be talking to him, that there was something there?” she said, slyly glancing to the Acolyte as he collected a bag of feed.

“I am here if you need advice Solis,” she murmured, and Solis snorted in laughter.

“That’s coming from a girl who’s only had a crush on a book character,” he commented, and Luna whacked him on the arm.

“Excuse you, Legonlas was described as a handsome nymph, and there’s no way any other girl wouldn’t have a crush on him,” she joked. “And I believe you were a bit fanciful of him too so don’t point your finger at me.”

They dropped the subject after that, and the butterflies which had taken residency in Solis’ stomach calmed a bit. Which were then reignited when Ignis smiled at him. Oh gods Solis was smitten.  

Cor and Nyx returned by the end of the week, as expected. At the same time when Noctis and Solis laid on their backs gazing at the clear blue sky. Solis had to say that the week had made him the most relaxed he’d ever felt.

“Ignis huh?” Noctis suddenly asked, and Solis whipped his head around to look at the prince.

“What about him,” he asked nervously, and the butterflies started up again. He didn’t want to have this conversation. Luna was bad enough Solis knew how to banter with her. But Noctis was a whole other ball game, one where Solis had to tread lightly and carefully lest his relationship with his brother – still weird to say – would unravel like thread.

Noctis chuckled knowingly. “Don’t play dumb with me. I’ve seen the way you two do that cutesy thing where you look at him when he’s not looking and vice versa and you catch each other in the act. Would you just go and confess already? You’re as bad as Gladio and I.”

“Oh, so you’re saying your slightly more emotionally constipated than I am?” Solis joked.

“No, and you’re not emotionally constipated Solis. You’re just…”

“Emotionally constipated,” Solis said bluntly, and the two boys laughed. “Honestly, I don’t know if he even likes me. He probably thinks I’m a clumsy, whiny prick who thinks he knows loads about magic, but really doesn’t.”

“I doubt that,” Noctis replied and Solis leant up against his elbow to look at him properly.

“Oh really? And how do you know that?” Solis asked, but Noctis stayed quiet, glancing at his brother knowingly. “You little shit, _tell me_!” Solis complained, shoving Noctis’ shoulder as his brother laughed. Solis was ready to leap on him when a shout caught his ear.

“Libertus!” Crowes’ voice called out, and Solis and Noctis glanced behind them, standing once they spotted the sleek design of the Regalia beside their beat up red truck. Crowe herself sprinted towards a person who Solis assumed was Libertus but could get a good look as Crowe threw herself at him for a hug.

“Shall we?” Noctis asked, pushing himself to stand, cracking his back loudly.

“Don’t think you’ve gotten away from answering my question dumbass,” Solis replied as they made their way over to the others. A weight lifted off Solis’ shoulders once he saw that Cor and Nyx were back in one piece. Crowe was still hugging Libertus so Solis and Noctis skirted around them to head to the others.

Solis suddenly spotted three other Kingsglaives who stood beside Cor, eyeing up the other four in their entourage suspiciously. “Cor! Nyx! Good to see you’re back in one piece,” Noctis began, once they were in earshot. The three strangers whipped their gazes to the prince, their eyes widening in shock.

“It was touch and go for a bit of it, the Empire has certainly upped their patrols and Magitek numbers,” Cor commented. He almost looked older, in Solis’ opinion. Although that might’ve just been because of the stress they probably had encountered.

“I see you found some Glaives,” Noctis said, nodding his head to the other three silently. In unison they bowed, and Solis gained a glance at the weapons strapped to their backs; bow and arrow, sword and axe. Solis was impressed.

“This is Anika, Loris and Elise. They were heading back to Insomnia from a mission when the attack started. Libertus found them on the way to the Hunter’s Headquarters,” Cor explained, nodding to Libertus himself.

He almost had the same braids as Nyx, same colouring too almost. And when the two men stood beside each other, Solis almost thought they could be related in some way. “They were quite easy to find,” he said, “just needed to follow the sounds of explosions.”

One of the triplets turned to Libertus and deadpanned, “we like explosions. We like to make fire.” Solis shivered slightly and the others stayed silent, staring at the triplets.

“I think some food is in order,” Ignis suddenly cut in. “And it might be a good idea to make a plan,” he commented, leading the rest to their campervan. Solis kept a close eye on the triplets, not trusting them and standing next to Luna who glanced at him in amusement.

“Why don’t you go talk to them?” Luna joked and Solis vehemently shook his head, keeping his distance until they reached the campervan. Even then, he ensured there was at least two chairs between him and the triplets, often sitting next to Prompto and Ignis to avoid them.

He wasn’t being subtle in the slightest, as much as he’d want to believe, and the triplets stared at him with one raised eyebrow each.

“The Empire has taken most if not all of the towns in the Duscae and Leide area. All Insomnian residents are being identified, which means they know you are alive Noctis,” Cor began once they’d finished eating. “They’ve also managed to put up photos of Luna and Solis, they’re looking for both of you now, although they only have photos from when you were both seventeen.”

“The Ascension,” Solis murmured, turning his head slightly to Luna. “What do we do now?” he asked Cor, shifting to get more comfortable in his seat.

“That’s up to his Majesty,” Cor replied, and Noctis stiffened slightly at the title. Solis glanced at Noctis, noticing the way he leant forward, pressing his elbows against his thighs and placing his chin on his steepled fingers.

“The Empire took my home, my family and my country. They must be torn down and destroyed, starting with the head,” he said darkly, his blue eyes flashing in determination. A shiver ran up Solis’ spine, his fingers starting to itch for his weapon. Cor leaned towards the table, meeting Noctis’ heated gaze with one of his own.

“Take out the head and the rest of the snake falls,” he murmured darkly, and Noctis nodded. Cor suddenly pulled a map from his pocket, unfolding it and laying it flat on the table for everyone to see. Three areas were circled in red, one in Leide, one in Duscae and the other in Cleigne.

“We need to take out the snake’s supplements before going for the head,” Cor explained, as the rest crowded around the map. “Each of these are an Imperial fort which supplies ships, magitek soldiers and ammunition for the force in Lucis. We need to take them out before eradicating the Empire’s influence in Lucis.”

“We’ll need three teams, one to take out each base. I talked to Dave, one of the Hunters in Meldacio. The Hunters have our backs if needs be,” Cor said, and Solis nodded with the others.

“What then?” Ignis asked, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“Hopefully with the ruckus we’ll be creating it’ll draw most if not all of the magitek engines to the three bases, meaning we can take out most of the fleet here before charging at the main bulk of the Empire’s forces,” Cor explained.

“Which means less ships for backup,” Solis realised, and Cor nodded at him.

“We’d need to regroup and adjust tactics if we’re to attack Gralea in the near future but getting rid of the Empire’s forces in Lucis would be a start,” Nyx suddenly cut in, twirling a plastic knife he used for eating between his fingers lazily.

“How’re we going to do that?” Solis suddenly asked, and when all eyes turned to him he elaborated. “I mean, how’re we going to take down the Empire with the number of people we have? Thirteen of us isn’t going to do much against a whole army.”

A silence descended over the group as they collectively thought. Luna suddenly leant forward and tapped the collection of islands of Accordo. “There has been rumours of Accordo becoming more independent of the Empire. If we conferred with First Secretary Claustra I’m sure we could come to some agreement of aid,” Luna explained, and Solis frowned at her.

“How did you know that? I didn’t even know Accordo _had_ a first secretary,” he murmured to her.

“I read it in the library in the manor. There is another section other than the fiction,” she teased in return, and Solis jokingly poked her side.

“That could work; however we’d need transport to get there. And I don’t think they’d let you two in, let alone the King of Lucis if security is what it was last time I was there,” Cor said, consulting the map once again. “We’d need visas, names for Solis and Luna and possibly Noctis.”

Cor stayed silent for a moment, mulling it over. “That’s something to think on, but for now, we need to get ready to head out.” They all stood from their seats, Solis knocking his over in his haste to get up. No one laughed and the triplets stared at him again.

“The triplets will take Tollhends Stronghold, which isn’t too far from here, you can take chocobos,” Cor said and the three nodded. “Nyx Crowe and I will take Formouth Garrison. We’ll take the Regalia again.” Solis could feel Noctis groaning at that.

“The rest of you, take the third base in Leide and take the truck. We won’t move out until tomorrow night, and make sure you attack at the same time. We want the Imperials scrambled so they are unable to call for back up. Understood?” Everyone nodded in agreement and made for bed.

Solis stared as the triplets took seats at the table again but didn’t question it as he went inside with the others. He was terrified. It was his first time actually taking the Empire head on, the first time he’d stare at those blank red eyes of the magitek soldiers and do what he’d been wanting to since he was twelve: stick his staff through their heads.

The campervan was beginning to feel a bit small, what with everyone crowding around the bunk beds so Solis headed out, past the triplets in their chairs and down towards the fence that bordered the small cliff drop.

It wasn’t quite night-time yet, the sun just dipping below the horizon, splitting the sky into multiple different colours. It was peaceful, serene and calm as he leant his forearms against the wood gently.

“I wasn’t expecting you to be the first to leave,” an accented voice caught Solis’ attention and he chuckled.

“Oh, you know, just don’t like the overpowering stench of man,” he quipped back, glancing behind him as Ignis came up beside him. Sometime during the day, his hair had started to deflate, almost falling flat on top of his forehead. Solis liked it that way, less spiky, softer, and oh so tantalisingly shiny. He wanted to card his fingers through it.

“Quite understandable,” Ignis said quietly, not wanting to break the peaceful silence. Solis stared at the sky, at the pinks and blues that split into multiple other colours. Ignis stared too, but not at the sky. He stared at the way the light turned Solis’ blue eyes into sapphires, how his pale skin seemed to glow like marble in the sunset.

“You know its rude to stare,” Solis commented, glancing to Ignis who cleared his throat and looked away. He didn’t see Solis’ ears turning pink as he too turned back to the sunset. “So, Ignis how did you end up on this little adventure?” Solis asked.

“The King tasked Gladio and I with protecting Noct on his journey to marry Lady Lunafreya. Prompto had joined the Crownsguard to follow us as well,” Ignis replied, taking off his glasses to give them a good clean.

“Right, but that doesn’t explain why you’re here,” Solis said and Ignis furrowed his brow in confusion. “Like, why are you an Advisor to the King when you could have any job you wanted with those smarts of yours.”

“I suppose I’d never thought of it that way,” Ignis replied. “My family has a long history with the Royal family of Lucis. Our house is responsible for providing the next Monarch with an Advisor, I happened to be the one who was born at the time of Noctis’ birth. It’s a duty, one that I can’t willingly choose to dispose of, really.”

“Like me,” Solis muttered, and Ignis glanced over at him, staying quiet to allow Solis to open up naturally. “Being Luna’s Acolyte isn’t a choice, it’s more of a duty, something I can’t give up. Previous Oracles who had had an Acolyte by their side grew to be way stronger than others and changed the course of destiny.”

The silence now sat heavy above them and Solis breathed in heavily. “Both of us are bound by duty, but I’d say neither of us would trade our place in the world for anything else. Am I wrong?” Solis asked, glancing at Ignis again.

“No, I suppose you’re not.”

“Guys, we’ve got a problem,” Gladio’s shout gained their attention and the two of them spun to face the campervan.

“What is it Gladio?” Ignis called as they hurried over, taking in the Shield’s flustered face in apprehension.

“Iris, she’s in trouble,” Gladio began, leading them back into the campervan where most of their group had crowded around the dingy table inside. Gladio’s phone sat in the middle, screen black. “She said that the Imperials had attacked Lestallum. There were no casualties, but they’ve suppressed the people. We need to get down there to help, now.”

“And we will Gladio, we leave for the base tomorrow. We can make a quick stop at Lestallum to check on Iris and continue on from there, alright?” Ignis asked as Noctis placed his hand in Gladio’s squeezing it in reassurance while Gladio nodded, barely containing his anger.

“For now, I think it’s best if we all go to bed,” Ignis said, ushering everyone to their respective beds dutifully.


	14. Ready, Set, Go!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Attacking an Imperial Base? Fun! Getting shouted at by a whiny brat? Not so much.

“I want to help!” came an indignant voice, clearly audible from where Ignis had parked the truck. Solis assumed Gladio was on his way back and no doubt with an unwanted stowaway and frowned at the thought of Iris wanting to come on such a dangerous mission.

He pushed himself away from where he leant against the truck with his foot as Noctis and Prompto wandered over from where they’d set up an impromptu card game on the bonnet. Gladio came into sight just as Ignis was climbing out from the front seat of the car, a girl trailing along behind the Shield.

“It’s too dangerous. And besides you need to stay here to mind Talcott with Jared,” Gladio said, turning to stare sternly at his sister. Solis attempted to peer around Gladio’s wide frame to spot the youngest Amicitia with no luck.

“Gladio’s right Iris,” Noctis suddenly piped up, stepping forward to stand beside his boyfriend. “It’s going to be too dangerous and I think your brother would kill me if you came along with us.” His blue eyes almost stared pleadingly into hers, and yet she frowned.

“But I can _help_ Gladdy! You guys need all hands on deck for this mission right? And I have just as much training that you had when you were my age and Dad still let you go on missions,” she stubbornly exclaimed and Gladio heaved a large sigh.

“Yes, he did. But they were smaller ones, ones that didn’t involve taking down an entire Empire,” Gladio retaliated, gritting his teeth in annoyance. “I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Well, its my choice and if you don’t take me I can easily rent a chocobo and ride there,” she said, grinning mischievously at her big brother. Gladio’s eye twitched in annoyance for a few seconds, seemingly having an internal battle with himself as he considered his baby sister.

“Was I sometimes that stubborn?” Solis asked Luna quietly, watching as the Oracle picked at the loose threads of her jeans while she sat in the bed of the truck.

“You were almost always that stubborn,” she said, grinning at the Acolyte as they all began to climb into the vehicle, Gladio placing Iris in the backseat along with himself and Noctis.

Solis loved going in the bed of the truck, to be able to see the open stretch of blue sky as they whizzed past the countryside. It still astounded him how the terrain changed when they went from one region to another, as if something had bleached the entire area in Leide of colour, replacing it with yellow paint.

He pulled out the notebook Cor had kindly bought him, opening his most recent page and considering the sketch he did on the opposite page. He was getting better at drawing, the pieces looking less like they were drawn by a ten year old every day.

He carefully began to draw out notes on the margin, keeping his script small and neat to fit as much information as he could. Things like colour, habitat, points of interest or other things Luna or the others would recommend he put in. No one knew about the drawings on the other end of the notebook; the ones of them.

It was still light out when they arrived at the Imperial base and the decision to set up camp was an easy one. They didn’t light a fire however, wary that they were so close to the base the smoke could be seen easily. And after a healthy portion of food, wherein Noctis shifted most of his vegetables over to Solis who then began to toss them at his head to take them back, Ignis stood to divulge a plan.

“Getting in will be quite easy,” he began, “but keeping a low profile less so. We need to find the best vantage points to take the Empire by surprise, then attack.”

“How do you suggest we do that?” Solis asked, flicking a small piece of carrot at Noctis and giggling as it landed on the prince’s collar. Noctis rolled his eyes at his brother’s childishness.

Ignis cleared his throat, and Solis snapped to attention. “There are three entry points, usually guarded by they’re easy to be rid of. The trick is being able to converge in the middle of the base to destroy the power source. We also don’t know who’s in command so stay on your toes.”

“So, does that mean split into three teams?” Iris asked, and Solis turned his head to glance at her. “Three teams three entrances?” she said unsurely, almost as if asking a question.

“I believe that would be the best course of action,” Ignis replied, pushing his glasses up his nose in thought. “Noctis, Iris and Gladio will take the north entrance. Solis and Luna you take the east, Prompto and I will take the west.”

“Guess it’s the two of us again,” Solis joked to Luna, and the Oracle smiled. Honestly, Solis was happy with being in a team with Luna. The two of them _had_ been training as a team for years anyway, and to lug either of them with the other two would only hinder progress because they wouldn’t know how to fight with them.

“We should really work on that,” Solis murmured to himself.

“What?” Luna asked him, but Solis waved it off. Something for another day.

Although the sun had already sunk below the horizon, the base itself was well lit. Spotlights and headlights illuminated their way as Solis and Luna snuck up to the guards at the gate.

Solis was curious as to why there were only two of them, seeing as the overhanging ledge would’ve been the perfect position for guards and it made him uneasy as they knocked out the guys and tied them up with no alarm sounding.

There wasn’t a door either, just a scanner which accepted key cards. One of which was found in one of the men’s pockets. They got in without a hitch and crouched besides one of the containers nearby, watching as men wandered past before moving on.

“We’re getting nowhere!” Solis whisper-shouted to Luna, glancing quickly behind his back to see if anyone spotted them.

“Ignis said to find a vantage point, so I’m looking for one,” she hissed back.

“Yes, but Ignis also said we needed to head for the middle of the base to destroy the power source,” Solis whispered, watching as she darted towards another container.

“Well I don’t hear any of the others converging yet, so hold your horses,” Luna said, ducking back into the shadows as a soldier stomped passed. “We need to keep a low profile, don’t need them calling for backup before we’re ready.”

“How do we know they’re heading that way though?” Solis asked, and Luna didn’t have to answer. A few metres away, the sounds of gunshots piped up, and many of the soldiers wandering around turned in that area.

“That’s how,” Luna said sarcastically, sprinting from behind the container and summoning her trident to her hand. Solis stood as well, feeling the familiar weight of his staff fall into his grip as adrenaline flowed through his veins.

Solis dodged and parried many attacks from the soldiers surrounding them, watching Luna’s back as she watched his. They worked as a team; a well-oiled machine as Solis would often swipe at the legs of a soldier and Luna would quickly butt them with the end of her trident.

“No killing,” Solis called to her, “these men are just following orders.” She nodded but didn’t show any mercy to the magiteks when they came too close to her.

The two of them were covered in motor oil fifteen minutes of the fight, and most if not all of the enemies they could see were taken out. Solis breathed heavily, bent over to lean his hands against his knees. “We need to get to the power source,” he huffed. “Help the others destroy it.”

Although the two of them were starting to tire, and the adrenaline was beginning to leave their systems they headed towards where a pulsing red light shot into the sky. “That’s the power source?” Solis aske quietly, taking in the tall structure.

“Any trouble?” Ignis suddenly asked as he and Prompto came up on their right. Prompto’s trousers were splattered slightly with a dark substance and Ignis’ hair was wilting again. Yet Solis didn’t point this out to them, he probably looked worse for wear as well.

“Not really, just soldiers and magiteks,” Solis replied, feeling butterflies erupt in his stomach as he took in Ignis’ sweat soaked face. _Get it together Solis._

“How do we get rid of this thing?” Noctis piped up, tilting his head back to get a look at the whole structure. It had a control panel towards the base, and the thing itself didn’t look very stable.

“We could try to override the codes from the main control computer or…” Ignis trailed off as Gladio took a step forward, swinging his great sword in an arc and cutting through the tech, sending the top half crumpling to the floor. “That could work too,” Ignis admitted.

A collective sigh of relief rang throughout the group, but a shiver ran up Solis’ spine. That felt too easy, and he glanced behind him, expecting something to pop out. “This felt too easy,” he digressed to the group, catching their attention.

“Don’t say that you’ll jinx it!” Prompto said, glancing around the base in fear.

“I doubt you could do that Prompto,” Iris said from where she stood beside Gladio. “I mean, all the soldiers are gone, and no one called for backup.”

An ominous rumbling sounded over their heads, sounding much like a magitek engine would and Solis craned his neck to look up. He didn’t recognise the ship, although the only one he knew was the Emperor’s ship with its beat up exterior. This one looked sleek and brand new as it docked and lowered the doors to reveal more tech inside.

“So, I get the prince and his motley crew,” a voice sneered over the loudspeaker, and immediately Solis groaned. Luna giggled at his reaction and the rest turned to them.

“Why this guy? Why couldn’t we get someone else?” Solis grumbled, sighing as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

“And who exactly is he?” Ignis asked, taking off his glasses to clean them.

“I am Loqi Tummelt, Brigadier General of the Niflheim Army!” the guy yells, causing everyone present but himself wince at the volume.

“He’s also the guy I poured hot custard on when he came to visit,” Solis said nonchalantly. Prompto tried to hold back his laughter as the guy in the ship spluttered.

“I see you’ve brought the Oracle and Acolyte to me. Thank you, Emperor Aldercapt has been frantically searching for you two. I’m sure he’ll be pleased when I return with you,” Loqi called down, and the rest formed ranks in front of Solis and Luna protectively.

“You won’t be taking anyone anywhere,” Noctis growled, glaring up at the man.

Loqi frowned. “Oh that’s a pity, I was hoping you’d just step aside and let me take them. Very well then,” he said, climbing into a magitek armour packed tightly into the ship. “Guess we’ll do this the hard way.”

Solis groaned tilting his head back to the sky as the armour jumped to the ground with a thud, almost sending his sprawling. “And I was hoping for a nice long nap,” he grumbled as he sprinted forwards with the others.

“So, wait why did you pour custard on this guy?” Prompto called from where he was providing covering fire. Solis slid underneath the armour, jabbing his blade into the foot’s mechanisms as he went.

“He came for a visit to the manor, said he was on orders of his leading general,” Solis panted out, swinging around to dodge a rouge missile quickly. “He acted like a brat, shouted at the servants and looked down his nose most of the time.”

“And Solis had the brilliant idea of balancing a bucket of custard on his bedroom door. Obviously the result was hilarious but caused a lot of trouble for both of us,” Luna called from where she and Iris were tag teaming hitting the joints of the right leg.

“I mean you contributed by getting me the custard, so you can’t really blame me for getting in trouble,” Solis said, pausing for a moment to glance at the Oracle.

“You will pay for that!” Loqi suddenly cried, the armours foot stomping on the floor two feet away from where Solis stood. The Acolyte jumped back with a yelp, tripping over his own feet for a few seconds before regaining his balance.

“Oh come on! It was seven years ago! And the stain came out in the end didn’t it?” Solis shouted, jogging over to Ignis as the man marked out weak spots for Solis to hit. The armour was beginning to creak with the amount of damage it was taking, and Solis glanced up at Loqi who was still inside.

“That incident ruined my reputation for _months_! I wasn’t able to walk the halls of my base without be laughed at!” Loqi shouted, and Solis held back a snort. He would’ve loved to have seen that.

“It would be best if you didn’t antagonise the enemy, Solis,” Ignis said from beside him, though his eyes held a sense of mirth as he leapt at the armour once again.

The group made quick work of the Brigadier-General after that, sending the armour toppling with a final crunch. They left the base in shambles with Loqi tied up and gagged as they wandered out.

Ignis pulled out his phone and dialled Cor once they stepped into the bright morning sun.

“Yeah?” Crowe’s voice piped up from the other end of the line.

“It’s Ignis,” Ignis said by way of greeting, putting the call on loudspeaker as the others came to a halt.

“Kinda guessed. You guys finished on your end? ‘Cause we just got a call from the triplets to say that all’s good on their end,” Crowe said, and the noise of a car engine made its way through the speaker.

“Yes but we hit a little bit of trouble towards the end there,” Ignis explained. “Is there a reason Cor didn’t answer his phone?”

“Oh, yeah the two of them were whipped by a hot chick who came and roughed us up and possibly flirted with them,” Crowe said nonchalantly.

“Whipped?” Solis asked quietly, glancing to Luna who shrugged her shoulders.

“Basically they’re both speechless,” Crowe supplied, and Solis laughed at the thought. “Anyway, we’re on our way back to the chocobo post if you guys wanna head back too?” And that was that, they got moving and Solis conked out the second he got into the truck, not by his own means, however.

His eyes slipped closed and he was met with a white world, and Gentiana standing a few feet away. Solis considered groaning for what felt like the hundredth time that day but settled with scowling at the woman for what she did in the Disk of Cauthess.

“Before you say anything,” he started, pointing his finger at her, “you don’t just possess a person’s body and then leave without an apology, or that person’s permission! That’s just plain rude.” He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes.

She didn’t speak for a few seconds. “I apologise. That was rude of me and next time I will ask,” she said, bowing her head slightly as Solis huffed and relaxed his arms.

“So, what’s up this time? You never visit me unless you have something for me to do,” he sighed, rolling his neck to work out the kinks there.

“There has been a change of direction in the path you’re taking,” Gentiana said vaguely and Solis rolled his eyes.

“Okay, if you’re going to tell me and you _want_ me to listen and not fall asleep, I suggest you speak plainly, please,” he tagged on the please because of manners, and he was talking to a messenger. He was half asleep, he didn’t have the energy for tact.

Solis watched the crinkle in Gentiana’s eyebrows as she frowned warily, as if they were going to be the cause of his untimely death if he ticked off the woman.

“Very well, there has been a development with the Astrals and their aid in your quest,” she said, and Solis quietly sighed in relief; he wasn’t blasted, yet. “It seems that there is an alternative option to the decision we’ve already made.”

“What, ignoring the gods and saying fuck off to all of them?” Solis asked cheekily, and this time Gentiana did scowl. Solis laughed sheepishly, his instincts screaming at him to _run_!

“Yes, the very same,” Gentiana continued after a few seconds. “It has come to my attention that Bahamut is controlling most of the Astrals, with the exception of Ifrit, acting much like a tyrant would to them.”

“Why Ifrit?” Solis interrupted again and braced himself for a Look that never came.

“This could mean that a new covenant can be breached with terms which could mean you would have the Astral’s aid as you battle against the Scourge,” she said.

“You mean Ardyn?” Solis suddenly asked and Gentiana suddenly frowned in confusion. “Oh, I’ve known for years. He always acted slimy around me, and he inadvertently revealed himself when the Emperor took Ravus away.” Solis winced at the memory, the little bubble of shame he always felt for not doing anything coming up again.

“Yes, well a new covenant can be formed; break their tie to Bahamut, and their aid is yours,” Gentiana revealed and Solis frowned in confusion.

“How will I know what to destroy to break the tie?” Solis asked uncertain, furrowing his brow in confusion.

Gentiana smiled kindly at him, placing a delicate, cold hand upon his shoulder. “You’ll know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya! 
> 
> So some of you might have noticed that I've turned this fic into a series. Before you ask, no there will not be a sequel. BUT! There will be a few oneshots of Solis and Ignis and the gang. Also you might've pegged that I changed the summary because my original was a bit shite. 
> 
> Anyway I hope you've enjoyed this one and I'll see you in the next chapter!   
> <3


	15. I've come to bargain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Progress in plot, Ramuh I've come to bargain.

The lightning started the day they got back to the chocobo post. Every time a crack sounded, Solis turned his head to watch as it forked and disappeared, something tugging on his abdomen to head that way.

“Wait, so you’re saying even though we’ve planned to ignore the gods completely, they’re now agreeing to work with us?” Luna asked, furrowing her brows as Solis nodded, blue eyes darting back to the lightning as the weather phenomena struck the same place yet again. “So why did we go through that whole thing with Titan?”

Solis glanced at the Oracle, surprised at her raised voice and taking notice of her exasperated expression. Everyone watched on as they ate their supper, entertained at the fact that Luna was chewing Solis out. “I didn’t know about this either, I’ve just been alerted about it by Gentiana,” Solis replied, taking another bite of food. “I’m honestly as confused as you are because I did think we wouldn’t wake up the gods and that would be it; no one would die, and we wouldn’t use them in the battle against the Empire.”

“And yet we need to now, what? Destroy a vague object to break a tie and negotiate?” Noctis piped up, brow furrowed in confusion. “That makes no sense.”

Luna leant back in her chair. “This is the gods we’re talking about, however. If we’d gone through with the original plan, it wouldn’t have ended well.”

Solis’ gaze snapped to her in surprise and Luna giggled. “You’re not the only one Gentiana came to visit,” she explained. “The point is, we would have to do this to each of the gods, provided they want it.”

“So that means going in search of each of them?” Gladio asked, carding his fingers through his hair.

“Essentially yes, but we know where two of them are,” Solis said, and Ignis now cast a knowing gaze at him.

“The lightning, Ramuh?” Prompto wondered and Solis nodded.

“And Titan,” Ignis supplied. “The Disk of Cauthess, correct?” And Solis nodded in confirmation.

Cor sighed long and loud, causing all heads to turn in his direction. “I’m getting too old for this,” he grumbled quietly, gaining multiple chuckles from the group as he pulled out the map. Three score lines had been drawn over the Imperial bases in red, and Cor took out the same pen now to circle two more areas.

“We can assume that wherever the lightning strikes is where the ties are,” Solis said, pointing at the area of forest beside the chocobo post. “We need to find them, destroy them and create a new covenant with Ramuh. We then need to do the same with Titan.” Solis’ finger slid towards the Disk of Cauthess, tapping the area twice.

“We wouldn’t need many people. A small group would be best; draw less attention to ourselves,” Ignis commented, pushing his glasses up his nose.

“You guys go, I’ll take the Glaives and try to find more men to join our cause, we’ll need them when the time comes,” Cor said, and Ignis nodded in agreement.

“Hang on a second, why don’t we get to choose?” Crowe complained. “I kinda wanted to meet the gods, give them a what for.”

“You do realise that would mean possibly missing out on fighting Aranea again, right?” Libertus told her, smirking as Crowe’s eyes hardened.

“When do we head out?” Prompto asked, practically bouncing in his seat in excitement.

“Possibly today? If we can use the chocobos it would mean we’d be back here hopefully before nightfall,” Solis said, and Cor nodded in agreement.

“That would make it easier for us, I’d like to avoid driving at night if at all possible,” Cor said, and they all stood from their seats, bringing in their plates for washing in the campervan.  

“What if what Gentiana’s told us is a trap?” Solis asked Luna suddenly, the two of them waiting for the others to grab the chocobos. “What if it’s a way to get you to awaken them? Set us back on the original path?”

Luna turned to sternly stare up at her surrogate brother. “If that does happen, you’ll stop me. I’d be counting on you, Solis to pull me out of the gods’ control. You’ve done it before,” she said confidently.

“Yeah, with Gentiana’s help,” Solis hissed, turning his head in case the others were listening in.

“And you’ll do it without her help. I believe in you, Solis. You’re the bravest person I know, you’ll do the right thing,” Luna replied.

“You’re making it sound as if you’ll die,” Solis chuckled, and Luna smiled at him.

“Come on guys!” came Prompto’s happy call, and Solis wandered over to his bird.

Kwehvin nuzzled his shoulder with his beak, and Solis scratched the bird’s neck. He swung his leg over the saddle confidently, less afraid he’d fall off now that he had ridden the chocobo a few times.

He spotted Luna on top of her own bird, smirking at Solis as he realised he was the last person to get on. He pouted childishly, sticking out his tongue at her when she laughed and nudged her bird into a trot.

It began to rain lightly on their way there, the sun still visible but only barely peeking through the clouds. It made everything seem fresh and new and beautiful as they headed for the edge of the forest.

“We have to be careful,” Ignis called from where he rode up front. “Imperials and Magiteks have been spotted frequently in this area. They must be looking for the same thing we are.” And sure enough, not two hundred metres away a Magitek Engine deposited some eight soldiers, and the group swerved their chocobos away into the tree line.

Solis tensed where he sat atop Kwehvin, shoulders hunching slightly as they all urged their birds to go faster. Solis didn’t like this; one wrong turn and they’d be on the bad end of a rifle. Or their birds could slip, send them tumbling down the incline they just climbed.

He kept a tight lookout himself, attempting to keep Luna in his peripheral vision just in case. “How much further?” he called, turning his gaze to the sky in time to watch another bolt of lightning come crashing to the earth.

“Not much,” Ignis replied, brushing his hair out of his eyes as he swerved around another tree. The rest did the same, avoiding a pack of animals which Solis _really_ wanted to make a sketch of and find out its name, but couldn’t as the group came to a halt.

The tether seemed small, a purple crystal standing perfectly vertical; tip presented to the sky as another crack of lightning struck.

A powerful aura overcame Solis, and he glanced to Noctis and Luna. Both seemed to be feeling it as well, however the others didn’t, staring at the three of them as they slowly and cautiously made their way to the crystal.

Something tugged on Solis’ abdomen, pulling him towards the crystal and all three tentatively stretched out their hands.

_“The Fabled King,”_ a voice suddenly said, wise in tone and bringing with it the scent of ozone. _“The Oracle and her Acolyte. How surprising you’d come to me first.” _It sounded slightly smug as they all glanced at each other, not knowing how to start their ‘negotiations’.

“We were _told_ to come to you first, Lord Ramuh,” Luna said, respectfully.

“Either that or go to ‘Rocky Road’ in the Disk of Cauthess,” Solis grumbled childishly, earning a slap on the arm from Luna

_“Ah yes, the ‘path breaker’. Solis Lilium isn’t it?”_ Ramuh asked but ploughed ahead before Solis could answer. _“Yes, I have heard a lot about you. Mostly bad things from Bahamut of how you’re ruining his plan I believe.”_

“Yes! That’s why we came to negotiate with you,” Solis said determinedly.

_“Negotiate? Now what would you have to negotiate with me; a god, and for what purpose?”_ Ramuh asked.

“Well considering the path Bahamut is planning all of us to travel on, I think having you on our side to stop it would be purpose enough,” Noctis replied. “And wouldn’t it be convenient not to be commanded by Bahamut?”

There was silence suddenly. “We know Bahamut is commanding you and the other Astrals. We have a way of breaking your tie with him and allowing you full reign over yourself again. That is, _if_ you agree to our terms,” Solis said.

_“What are your terms?”_ Ramuh finally said, and the three breathed out a sigh in relief.

“You come to our aid when we need, without using either of Luna’s or Solis’ or my magic to do so,” Noctis stated. “You will not agree to follow Bahamut’s plans and will be on our side when the time comes to land the final blow.”

There was silence once again as Ramuh considered the terms. _“I will agree to these terms. However, I will only be able to grant you aid under certain conditions. There is also the issue that this crystal isn’t the only tether I have. There are three, you will need to destroy each in order to free me from my tie with Bahamut.”_

“Thank you, Lord Ramuh,” Luna said, curtsying to the best of her ability as she kept one hand against the crystal. The two boys attempted to bow while doing the same.

_“The deal is set, destroy the ties, and I will work with you,”_ Ramuh said, and the connection cut off, the feeling of a weight being lifted falling over all of them.

“He was nicer than I expected,” Solis remarked, shaking out his stiff legs and pulling his hand away from the crystal.

“Did it work?” Prompto asked worriedly, and Solis turned his gaze to the other three. They looked tense, worried and Solis realised they hadn’t been able to listen in on the conversation. Only being able to see it from the outside, it must’ve looked strange for none of them to move for a while to then suddenly curtsey and bow.

“It did, but it seems there are more ties we need to destroy for Ramuh after this one,” Noctis replied. “I’d suggest you all stand back,” he said, and Solis took a good three steps back as Noctis’ sword materialised in the palm of his hand.

The King swiped at the crystal, slicing it in two and causing it to shatter. There was a moment of quiet as the thunder and lightning stopped, until it was heard again further away.

“That’s our next target,” Ignis said, and they began to make their way back to where the chocobos grazed outside.

“Do you think there’s three crystals so that Bahamut can keep a strong tie with Ramuh? Maybe the other gods have three ties as well?” Solis asked Luna in curiosity.

The Oracle shrugged in reply. “I’m not entirely sure. It might be that Bahamut just found it easier to tie Ramuh down with three ties? Or maybe it’s something to do with how difficult it was for him to tether them down?”

Solis nodded in thought considering that titbit as he pulled himself into Kwehvin’s saddle. “We’ll find out soon enough,” he told her as they began to ride through the trees once again, following the sounds of lightning as it struck their next target.

Something ominous began to rumble, something other than the thunder cracking over their heads. It sounded eerily familiar to Solis and he cast his gaze to the sky. A shadow burst from the clouds, the ship rundown and looking worse for wear as the Magitek engine inched forwards towards them.

“Guys, we got trouble,” Solis called to the others, nudging Kwehvin to go faster. “I recognise that ship and I don’t exactly want to meet whoever comes out of it.”

Luna glanced up as well and her face blanched, brow furrowing as they all picked up speed.

“Who’s in that ship?” Noctis asked as they dodged trees.

“Either Ardyn, the Emperor or just some scouts sent to pick us up,” Solis called back. “In any case, I don’t want to meet any of them.”

“Why the Chancellor?” Ignis asked from where he rode beside Solis.

“Because he’s a whole can of bad that we don’t want to open right now and also because he acts like the Emperor’s lackey,” was Solis’ only explanation as he continued to gain speed.

He glanced back as the door fell open and figures jumped to the ground. Their uniforms were different from the bog-standard that he’d become used to seeing and identifying with Imperial soldiers. He frowned as he took in the subtle differences, trying to place where he’d seen them.

He gasped when he finally made the connection. “Guys! That’s the Emperor’s personal guard!” he called to the others, kicking Kwehvin to go faster.

“Is that bad?” Prompto asked worriedly, casting his own gaze towards the soldiers behind them.

“Not necessarily. They’re usually soldiers who’re trained to protect the Emperor during public events,” Luna explained, matching speed with Solis as they dashed through the trees. “That said, we don’t know what weapons they’ve brought with them so keep an eye out for ballistics and guns.”

A chorus of shouts came up behind them, and Gladio glanced backwards. The soldiers were now pointing at them, some looking as if they want to run after them. Others were smarter, digging into what looked like large packs and pulling out multiple rifles and long range guns as well as a few swords.

“Guys, we might have a problem,” he said, and the others took in what he saw. “Should we face them down?” he asked Ignis, who glanced at the lightning once again; gaging the distance between them and their destination.

“We wouldn’t be able to get there without them bothering us again. They would also still be able to injure one of us with those guns,” he said, gently placing his thumb and forefinger on his chin in thought.

“Why haven’t they started firing?” Prompto wondered, glancing at the soldiers again.

“’Cause they’re stupid,” Solis snickered, earning a slap on the arm from Luna.

“Let’s take them out,” Noctis intoned, fidgeting on his saddle. Solis was inclined to agree. There was only about ten of them at most, and some had rifles which if they took down they’d easily have them rounded up.

“Yeah, let’s do it, I’ve been wanting to bash some heads in recently,” Solis encouraged, pulling his staff to his fingers.

“Alright but make it quick. And avoid those rifles. Although they’re small they could do serious damage,” Ignis told them.

“You’re just saying that because we’re running low on potions,” Prompto said, smirking at the Advisor.

“That too,” Ignis admitted and Solis blanched slightly. Glancing at the amount of guns they had, he hoped his quick reflexes and magic – of which he was never reliant upon but this time he’d make an exception – would prevent any major injury. He knew the others didn’t have the kind of power he or Luna did, and those bullets could do some considerable damage.

At Ignis’ nod, Solis kicked Kwehvin into a sprint, heading straight for the soldiers. Well, as straight as he could what with the amount of trees in his way. They made for a good distraction however as they weaved through, avoiding the barrels of the Imperial’s rifles as they did.

Kwehvin charged through the line of soldiers, Solis swinging his staff with the blade out in a curve and clipping on a rifle. It went sailing through the air and the man who had been aiming with it toppled to the floor in shock. Solis turned Kwehvin and did the same to another man, finally jumping off and jabbing the wooden end of his staff into one soldier’s face.

A shout came up behind him and he swung round, flipping his staff over his shoulders and catching it in his other hand quickly. The soldier was unawares as Solis swiped his staff at his legs, sending him to the ground quickly.

He could hear the others battling too, calling out to each other and working together to take down the Imperials. He smiled slightly, turning swiftly to jab his blade into the face of a Magitek soldier.

The thing went slack, and Solis had to take a few steps back as he accommodated the weight. He prepped to sling the thing away when a soldier suddenly took interest in his predicament.

Expression slightly deranged and uniform bloody, the man began to jog over to Solis who desperately attempted to pry the Magitek off his staff. He tugged on the wood as the Imperial got closer, grunting as he tried to free his weapon.

“Fuck, come on,” he said, jiggling his staff as black oil and blood dripped from the helmet onto his hands, making them slick and lose their grip.

“Solis!” came a cry a few metres away, and the Acolyte heard boots thundering behind him. He got a glance of Ignis coming towards him before his attention was taken again by the armour that was leaning heavily against his weapon.

Ignis practically sprinted towards him, aware that he had his back exposed to a soldier who was getting dangerously close to the Acolyte. Ignis called his daggers to his hands, feeling the cold metal against his gloves as he threw his arms up in front of him.

He caught the sword - which was about to slice across Solis’ back and probably cause some major damage – at the handle of his daggers, feeling the blades quiver under the force. The blade was dangerously close to his face and the Advisor leant away from it slightly, grunting as he kept his stance whilst Solis desperately tried to get the Magitek soldier off his staff.

“Ah fuck, I’m an _idiot,_ ” Solis grumbled, placing pressure against the wood of the staff and the blade slid away. The soldier slid down to the floor, its black viscous liquid making a pool around its head as Solis turned to face Ignis’ opponent.

Although the Advisor was doing well in holding the man off, it didn’t mean he came away without injury. Solis caught a glimpse of a cut on his leg, where he got it from Solis wasn’t sure, but he glared at the soldier anyway.

The man gulped in fear, grip shaking slightly against the handle of the blade still pressing down on Ignis’ daggers. Solis flicked his wrist, pressing against the wood of the staff at the same time and extending the blade to seem imitating. It worked as the man’s knees knocked together.

Solis twirled his staff in his hands, swiping at the soldier’s legs swiftly and knocking him off balance. Ignis stood once the blade was alleviated and nodded to Solis in thanks.

Together, they stalked towards their enemy, who’d managed to get back on his feet once again. He held his sword out in front of him, his stance shaky and expression worried as his gaze flitted from one man to the next.

Solis and Ignis worked as one to take him down, the fight turning into some sort of dance as Ignis would swipe a few times and then step back to allow Solis to have a go. A smile crept up Solis’ lips as they fought, feeling as if something he never thought was missing slotted into place.

He and Ignis worked well together, not needing to talk much to express what to the other what they were about to do. The battle died down a few minutes after Ignis landed the final blow on their opponent, laying the man out flat on the ground with the force of his blades.

Solis blushed slightly, eyes dragging up Ignis’ rippling back and strong shoulders sensuously. He was shaken from his thoughts when Ignis suddenly took a knee, breathing heavily as he banished his blades.

“What’s wrong? Is it your leg?” Solis asked, rounding him to get a better look at the wound. It wasn’t deep, but then again it would fester if left unattended. Which was why Solis shouted for Luna to come to him.

Noctis and the others followed close behind, and when asked about potions, Ignis shook his head vehemently. “It’s too small of a cut to waste a potion on,” he rationalised.

“Are you kidding?! Iggy, if we don’t get that tended to it could become infected. And then where would we be? Stranded with a fevered Advisor?!” Solis exclaimed angrily and Ignis glanced up at him in shock.

“There may be another way to help, but Solis I’ll need you to calm down!” Luna said to him, staring hard through her lashes.

A flicker of recognition passed over Solis’ eyes and his brow furrowed. “You know we haven’t trained for that in months Luna! And it’s only for large wounds which are life threatening,” he exclaimed.

“Then we’ll just have to be very precise now wont we?” Luna replied, pulling off her coat and sitting Ignis down on the forest floor, stretching out his leg as Solis knelt beside her. “Can you boys keep watch? Alert one of us if you spot any Imperials?” Luna asked the other three, who nodded firmly.

Luna then held her hands above Ignis’ cut and began to _sing_.

Solis could feel the tug of magic within his abdomen, forcing his mouth open and the words onto his tongue. He could sense the magic forcing itself out into the open, tasting like honey on his taste buds.  

Magic to everyone was different, to Noctis it was a Sense; a scent that wrapped around each person, and each was different. To Solis, it was a taste. To him, his own tasted sweet, either like honey or something else as it lathered his tongue before being swept away. It was mainly on the fact that Solis’ magic was quite oral; something to be said and heard.

The music and words made no sense to him, but the rise and fall in the tune caused goosepimples to raise on his flesh, sending shivers up and down his spine. It ended quickly, and when he glanced down, Ignis’ leg was completely healed.

There was a calming silence over the clearing and Solis coughed to break it, gesturing to the man on the floor to encourage Luna to help him up.

Ignis gingerly tested his leg and seemed surprised to find it alright. “That was…wonderful,” he said, slyly wiping his thumb under his eye. Solis swore he could see Gladio do the same, but he didn’t comment.

“We need to find the other two crystals if we wish to create that covenant,” Luna said, spurring everyone into action.

“Thank you. For helping me,” Solis murmured to Ignis, bashfully glancing at the Advisor as they tried to find their chocobos once again.

“You as well. That was the most beautiful thing I’ve seen in a long time,” Ignis replied, and Solis’ little gay heart leaped for joy.

Solis ducked his head in embarrassment and hurried to jump onto Kwehvin’s back. The next two crystals were found without trouble, although the last one was difficult to access and none of them came out of that dungeon without a scratch.

The ride back to the chocobo post was long and arduous and Solis realised they’d have to do this at least three more times if they wanted most of the gods on their side. His groan rang out through the dusk air, and the others laughed at him.

Solis noticed how many time Ignis glanced at him during supper, and it didn’t do well for his attention on his food (green curry soup) as a blush worked its way up his neck.

He stood at the fence again after food, too tired to attempt playing card games with anyone and left Prompto to a game of Kings Knight with Noctis. He wasn’t surprised when he heard the thump of boots against the grass, signalling Ignis’ approach.

“I thought you’d never come,” Solis said into the cool air, turning his head to smirk at the Advisor. Ignis had long since taken off his suit jacket, most likely leaving it in the campervan with their duffle bags. Now, he was only left in his dinner shirt, sleeves rolled up and slightly unbutton.

Solis’ gaze strayed to the sliver of collar bone on show easily, shifting to Ignis’ forearms before darting back up to Ignis’ face. “Well, I didn’t realise I was invited to join you,” Ignis replied, smirking at Solis.

“I thought it was clear by the sultry look I gave you,” Solis returned good naturedly.

“Oh that was a sultry look was it? I thought you were constipated,” Ignis said in a more dramatic tone as Solis hit his shoulder.

They lapsed into silence, filled with the sounds of the birds in the trees, and the distant noises of the chocobos nearby. “Thank you for helping me today,” Solis said quietly.

“It wasn’t much, I just led the group to—”

“No, I meant with the soldier. It was very brave of you to swoop in,” Solis cut in. “Very much like a knight in shining armour.” Solis glanced at Ignis shyly, blushing when the Advisor caught his gaze in his own.

“I must thank you as well,” Ignis began, “for healing me today.”

Solis’ blush grew stronger again, crawling up his neck to his ears. “It was nothing. I didn’t really do all the work, Luna did.”

“However, you did heal me. And the way you did it was so…” Ignis paused for a second, “ethereal.” Ignis could feel himself starting to blush as well.

He cleared his throat. “I know that we’re returning to Lestallum once again so that the journey to the Disk is easier,” he began, and Solis looked at him again. “There is a really nice vendor who sells good food. I was wondering if you would like to join me in taking a look into his wares?”

Solis laughed quietly. “Are you asking me on a date but just really fancily?” he asked, chuckling as Ignis ducked his head in embarrassment. “Well, I’d be happy to join you kind sir,” Solis chuckled, and the two watched the sun dip below the horizon together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've an excuse for being late! I've been really busy and these last two weeks before school holidays have been kicking me in the ass. But, I got the chapter out! And it's 1000 words longer than usual for your entertainment! Hurrah! Kudos to whoever can figure out where the title of this chapter is from (ie. quote from a film, tv show etc.) 
> 
> Also Happy Holidays! I'm not going to be posting a chapter till the 6th of January now because I'm in dire need of a break. But, I won't not write, I've started a really cool Star Wars thing that I hope to post here within the next few months. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you all have a Merry Christmas/ Hanukkah/ Whatever you celebrate and I will see all you dudes in 2020!


	16. So this is love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Time for some well earned R & R

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> UwU Hi!! I hope all of you had an amazing holiday!! 
> 
> We give the boys a bit of a break in this one seeing as it's been all go go go. But the next Arc is a bit of a doozy. And enjoy the bit of Romance added to the story. I really tried guys. I'm not the best at writing two people in love at all. 
> 
> Anyway, until next time; enjoy.

“We understand the amount of danger regarding this proclamation, Lord Titan,” Luna said up to the god. He towered over all of them, intimidating and angry. Very angry.

“ _You dare initiate a negotiation with me girl?! This plan has been set for centuries, and yet you think it can be uprooted with a few of us abandoning our posts?_ ” he shouted at them. Well, Solis would say he roared at them in a different language which he was able to understand. The perks of having Acolyte powers.

“We do realise how sudden this decision is, but it is a decision made for the good of this world,” Luna stated diplomatically. “If we were to continue on the path Lord Bahamut has set for us, the world would fall into chaos and ruin. An endless darkness is what is prophesised, Lord Titan.”

“ _We know of the consequences, that is why we chose this path over others,_ ” Titan replied, a growl underlaying his tone.

“So, basically you chose the path that would be more convenient for you guys?” Solis butted in, earning a shushing from Luna and an elbow in the side from Noctis.

Titan turned to glare at the Acolyte. “ _You dare speak out of turn_?” he asked, suddenly dangerously quiet. “ _Be warned boy you are only an Acolyte; I could smite you now and it wouldn’t mean a thing. You aren’t important in the midst of an Oracle and a Prince._ ”

Solis glared at the god, hatred bubbling in his stomach.

“Lord Titan, will you negotiate with us?” Noctis stepped in, drawing his back as straight as he could to look tall, and Solis caught a slight wince, remembering the image of the long scar up his spine. The god glanced to Noctis.

“ _And why would I consider doing that if the path is already set in motion_?” the god asked.

“It isn’t,” Luna said. “Lord Ramuh has already agreed to our terms. He is willing to aid us when needed and to forgo Bahamut’s path in return for his tie to be cut. You do wish for that, correct? To be free from Bahamut’s control?”

Solis could see the great god was wavering, his stone features scrunched into a scowled as they held their breath.

“ _And how do I know this plan will come to fruit_?” Titan pondered, smirking as he glanced down at them. He looked like he was the cat who got the canary, and Solis realised he thought he worked out a chink in their plan; that they had none.

“The messenger Gentiana, she told me to complete this task. And it’s said that messengers convey the words of the gods, right?” Solis said, confidently.

“ _What have I told you about speaking out boy?!_ ” Titan roared, shaking the ground with the force of the sound.

“He’s correct, Lord Titan,” Luna shouted over the din. “Lady Gentiana did recommend we take this course. So that means one of you ordered her to. That is the proof you need to confirm the plan will be successful. Am I not correct?”

Titan growled at them, bending down so that his gigantic face was at level with the three of them. “ _Very well. I will agree to this foolish plan. But, mark my words if it is unsuccessful you will pay the price.”_ And with that, he sunk back to the ground, the meteor taking its place once again.

“Can we _please_ take a break now?” Solis asked from where he’d sat on the floor. “My feet are killing me, and I can literally _feel_ my magic depleting from that summoning,” he whined, and Luna bent to pick him up from the floor, hoisting his arm over her shoulder.

The three of them made their way slowly back to the others, Ignis stepping forward to take Solis from Luna when they came closer. “We found a tomb, possibly holding one of the Old Kings,” he told them as the group made their way back to the car. “Would it be a good idea to take a look?”

“No, if we’re doing this old school, that means without the Old King’s help. Unless we’re desperate,” Noctis replied firmly and Solis spotted him taking Gladio’s hand while they walked.

“Are you alright Solis?” Ignis muttered in his ear, watching as the Acolyte gradually gained his strength again.

“Yeah, this happens when I use my magic too much. Drains me a lot so I kinda have to wait for it to replenish. Also means I can’t really control my legs that well,” Solis chuckled softly, watching as Ignis reached into the satchel at his side.

“Here,” he said, holding out a potion, bright blue in colour and glowing slightly. When Solis reached out to touch it, he could feel a slight heat emanating from the glass. He retracted his fingers from the potion.

“No, I can’t take it. Noctis or one of you will need it in the future. And anyway, I’m almost back to one hundred percent! See?” He almost face planted onto the dusty ground when he tried to stand on his own, his knees buckling underneath him.

“Neither Prompto, Gladio or I can use these, as we don’t use raw magic like you, Luna or Noctis. Our magic is derived from the crystal; a weaker ‘brew’ if you will,” Ignis replied, once he successfully prevented Solis from making a fool of himself.

“Well, then won’t Noctis need it?” Solis asked tentatively, glancing at the potion again.

“Perhaps, but we do have plenty others, and they’re easily purchased,” Ignis said, smiling gently as he watched the Acolyte down half the potion, screwing back on the top and handing it to his again.

“Woah,” Solis said quietly, feeling his energy come back tenfold, and his magic to run through his veins easily once again. His senses seemed to grow sharper with every second. “That’s amazing,” he exclaimed.

“Can’t have too many of them though, you might explode!” Noctis joked, and Solis turned and stuck his tongue out childishly.

“Hardy har har,” Solis replied, leaning into Ignis’ side again as they made their way to the car. “Let’s get back to Lestallum, I’m getting sick of this dust bowl,” he grumbled as they climbed into the car once again.

The sun was just setting by the time they got back, the sky turning multiple shades of red and orange. Solis could hear the shutter from Prompto’s camera as they all climbed out.

The bars were open as well, full to bursting with people. Most of them were women who wore the uniforms from the power station, baggy material with helmets tucked under their arms. Solis loved how alive Lestallum became when the sun set, if possible it was more animated than it had been when they’d set out for the Disk that morning.

“Come on Princess,” Gladio suddenly said, slinging his arm around Noctis’ shoulders and drawing him close. “There’s a cup noodle van down the street. I’m ready for a bite to eat if you are.”

Noctis didn’t even get a chance to reply as Solis watched him get tugged away, although he did notice the endearing, loving smile on his lips as the two walked away.

“Iris invited me to join her at the spa in the hotel when we got back,” Luna admitted, stretching her arms to the sky. “To tell the truth, I do need a massage.”

“Have a good time!” Solis called after her, watching her retreating back weave its way through the crowds in the direction of the hotel. He turned to Ignis when she was out of sight. “So, where’s this famous food vendor you’ve been telling me about?” he asked cheekily.

“Yeah, and I’m out,” Prompto chuckled, wandering towards one of the bars to leave the other two alone.

Solis snorted as he watched the blonde leave and Ignis covered his mouth to stifle his own laughter. “Aw, no come on I want to hear you laugh!” Solis pouted, and Ignis chuckled quietly at his childish behaviour.

The vendor was placed next to the spectating spot, and the two of them carried their paper plates stacked with food over to the wall. Solis carefully hopped onto it, bending one knee to prop his foot up on the stone.

There was silence for a while as they ate, and Solis was starting to get twitchy. “What’s your favourite colour?” he asked nonchalantly glancing down at his food.

“Pardon?” Ignis asked after a few seconds, clearing his throat slightly.

Solis swung the foot that was hanging freely as he shrugged his shoulders. He could feel a blush climbing up his neck again. “Well, considering we’ve done all this stuff together, what with negotiating with gods and whatnot, I thought it’d be nice to get to know each other,” he rationalised. “And besides, isn’t this what _normal_ people do on dates?”

“You do make a good point,” Ignis replied. “It’s purple, by the way.”

“Oh, cool,” Solis said, bobbing his head slightly. “Mine’s blue.” He smiled at the memory of his blue combat boots, which were probably in the bin by now. “How did you become Noctis’ Advisor?”

“I was meant to be his Advisor when I was born,” Ignis explained. “My family has served the royal family as Advisors for centuries. What about you, how did you become Acolyte?”

“I guess by birth as well,” Solis said, placing his empty paper plate down on the wall. “I don’t really do much though, so I’m not sure whether it’s as important as being an Advisor.”

“You make Luna stronger, that’s how you help,” Ignis said quietly, placing hand on Solis’. “And, you’ve somehow gotten us off a path of pain and turmoil. I’d say that would be very important.”

Solis smiled gently at Ignis and they fell into silence again. “I didn’t get to properly apologise,” Solis suddenly said.

“For what?” Ignis asked.

“For spilling green curry sauce all over you. And then for checking you out when you were changing your shirt,” Solis replied, the blush going up to his ears now as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck.

Ignis laughed quietly. “Well, I never got to thank you properly,” he said, stepping closer to Solis and tilting his head up with his finger under his chin. “You were so beautiful when you healed me, almost ethereal,” he said, his hot breath ghosting over Solis’ lips.

Solis’ heart jumped, butterflies erupted in his stomach and his cheeks flared with heat as his blue eyes were caught by Ignis’ green ones. They were so close he could make out the flecks of brown in his irises, almost like molten bronze.

Ignis’ gloved hand slipped to Solis’ hip, his grip steady and light at the same time as his head tipped towards Solis’. Their lips connected clumsily at first, teeth clacking against each other. But then Solis let Ignis take the lead, leaning in to apply more pressure when it felt like Ignis was pushing him back.

It didn’t feel like it lasted long, but when Ignis pulled away, Solis’ lips were swollen and pink, as was Ignis’. Solis found it endearing how the Advisor’s eyes were blown wide, both breathing heavily as the butterflies in Solis’ stomach blew up a storm against his intestines.

Ignis didn’t pull too far away, just enough that Solis could feel his heated breath against his lips again. He wanted more but didn’t want to overstep a boundary by throwing himself at the man. So, he settled with running his hand up and down his arm gently and slowly, coming to a stop finally to wrap his fingers around Ignis’.

Their foreheads rested against each other, and both stayed quiet for a while.

Solis always thought that after his first kiss, his thoughts would be all over the place, buzzing around his head like flies. It was actually the complete opposite. He felt a sense of calm drape over his mind, and he smiled softly, appreciate Ignis’ closeness.

“We should get going, the sun’s about to go down,” Ignis murmured after a few minutes. Solis whined quietly, almost grumbling as Ignis pulled away from him. The Advisor held out his hand for Solis to take, which startled him initially. He could feel the blush coming up to his cheeks as he shyly placed his palm in Ignis’.

Sure enough, the clouds had turned a lovely shade of navy, the streetlights coming on naturally as the sun dipped below the horizon.

The bars were in full swing now, but Solis couldn’t spot the others in any of them. He did have to lean against Ignis’ side a few times to avoid bumping into people and some beer almost ended up in his hair if it weren’t for Ignis pulling him away in time.

The quiet of the hotel was a balm on Solis’ ears; drunk people were loud. No one stood at the reception desk at this time, but Ignis pulled out a spare set of keys for their hotel room and the two of them headed up the stairs.

Solis yawned as Ignis turned the key in the lock. “I think I’m ready for bed, how about you?” he said, watching as Ignis pushed open the door easily.

“I don’t think I’d be able to concentrate if I were to do anything else _but_ sleep.” The hotel room was dark and quiet when they entered. Solis laughed as he heard Gladio’s lawnmower snores come from the bed next to the door.

The Shield was spread eagled on the bed, providing a heated pillow for Noctis who had laid his head on Gladio’s stomach. The blanket covered both of them, thankfully, and Solis laughed at the sight, pulling out his phone to take a discreet picture.

Iris and Luna were sleeping in a separate bed, Luna the big spoon and Iris the little one. Prompto had taken the sofa and was wrapped around a cushion firmly, snuffling into it every few minutes.

“Guess we have no choice,” Solis said, and gestured to the one other spare bed left. Ignis nodded and rummaged around in the duffle bags to hand Solis pyjamas, which he accepted and scurried to change into in the bathroom.

When he emerged, Ignis was changed and pulling off his glasses, setting them neatly on the bedside table.

“You look different without your glasses,” Solis whispered as he climbed into bed on the other side. The butterflies were back again and seemed hell bent on battering the inside of Solis’ stomach as Ignis turned to him.

He’d left a button undone on his sleep shirt, exposing a bit of his collar bone for Solis to see, and ultimately drool over. “Do I?” Ignis murmured back, swinging his legs gracefully onto the mattress. “I guess I don’t realise because I’m somewhat used to the sight.”

Solis nodded in understanding, watching as Ignis slid under the covers. The Acolyte scratched the back of his head and yawned widely, settling into the covers himself. He glanced at Ignis to find green eyes catching his own and Solis smiled bashfully.

“Is this alright?” he asked quietly, tentatively stretching his toes to press against Ignis’ leg, feeling the warmth there and dragging the limb towards him.

Ignis seemed to startle for a second before settling, allowing his legs to be intertwined with Solis’ own. “Perfectly,” he replied succinctly, placing his own arm protectively around Solis’ shoulders and dragging him closer.

Solis smiled softly, cuddling close to Ignis as he settled finally, eyes slipping closed as he welcomed sleep with open arms.

                                      ________________

Something buzzed around Solis’ head. A fly maybe, or a bee. Or maybe one of those ginormous bee like monsters had gotten into their room! He swiped his hand around his head irritably, snuggling back against his pillow again. He then realised two things as his body slowly came into wariness.

One, was that the buzzing wasn’t a fly or a bee or a rouge monster. It was a phone vibrating on a bedside table. Two, was that his pillow wasn’t actually pillow. It was the chest of one Ignis Scientia, and the memory of last night’s kiss came flooding back, turning his cheeks bright pink.

Ignis suddenly groaned, and Solis could feel it against his cheek, the sound sending heat straight to his lower abdomen. His eyes widened and he attempted to send his mind to bad things - dead puppies, Luna being kidnapped, dead puppies – as Ignis pushed himself up from under the covers to grab his phone.

“Hello?” His voice was raspy, heavy from sleep. Solis could feel his chest vibrate with the sound and closed his eyes in happy bliss. Which was shattered by Ignis’ greeting of, “oh, Marshall.”

Solis practically scowled and pushed himself gently away from Ignis. If Cor was on the phone, that meant something was up. Something that would probably cut their relaxation short. Solis yawned and rubbed the sleep crust from his eyes, blocking out the one sided conversation beside him. He’d find out what it was sooner or later.

The call ended quickly, and somehow didn’t disturb the others from their rest. A quick glance at Ignis’ phone screen showed it was still early morning. Early enough that Solis flopped back down on the mattress from where he’d sat up, using his left hand to drag Ignis down with him.

“Solis, we need to get up. Cor wants us to meet him at the truck,” Ignis reprimanded, attempting to pull himself from Solis’ grip. The Acolyte held firm however, whining as he tried to keep him under the covers.

“He didn’t say he would be there right now! And besides, none of the others are up and it’s too early to function,” Solis whined back, tangling his legs with Ignis’ and holding onto his shoulders firmly.

“I guess we wouldn’t be able to pull His Highness from bed at this hour anyway,” Ignis said, sighing as he glanced over at Noctis and Gladio, both of whom were still very much asleep.

Solis snuggled against Ignis’ chest again, settling down for another good two hours sleep before another phone went off. This one was obnoxiously loud and stirred everyone from sleep. Even Noctis grumbled and sat up, fumbling for his phone at his bedside table and illustrating his cell phone as the culprit.

“Turn it off!” Solis rolled over to glare at his brother, who – in a very king like manner – stuck his tongue out sleepily from across the way as he answered it.

“Right, Cor wants us down at the truck _now_ ,” Noctis said, sleepily standing from his bed. “Apparently he kinda guessed we’d all fall back asleep.”

“So he thought calling the most sleep prone of us to get us up was the best idea?” Solis grumbled, pulling the blanket over his head.

“Hey, you’re up though, aren’t you?” Noctis snipped back as they all got moving.

The blanket was tugged from Solis’ grip and he pouted at Ignis, the man chuckling at his childish behaviour. “Barely,” Solis said, hoisting himself from bed. “I just want a bit more time in a real bed for a change.”

“I agree,” Prompto said from where he was righting the sofa across the room. “Why can’t we spend more time here before we go off fixing the world?”

He didn’t notice Gladio behind him until the Shield grabbed for him and ruffled his hair. “Because the world won’t wait for us while we drink mocktails and bathe in the sun,” he said as Prompto squawked indignantly and Solis giggled, covering his mouth with his hand.

Cor looked as if he was about to lose his patience when they wandered up to the truck. He was tapping his foot with his arms crossed over his chest while he glowered at the ground. Solis and Luna waved to Nyx and Crowe in greeting from the steps as they followed the others. The triplets were missing, however.

“Hey, where’ve those creepy triplets gone? And where’s Libertus?” Solis asked Nyx as Cor and Ignis began to consult the map they’d laid out on the trucks bonnet.

“Libby took the triplets and the hunters we were able to gather to Cape Caem. Apparently that old geezer Cid was able to unearth the royal yacht,” Nyx replied. “He’s fixing it up as we speak to be ready for when we travel to Altissia.”

Solis grinned in amazement. “We have a yacht?! That’s so cool!” If it weren’t for Luna holding onto his elbow, he would’ve begun to jump for joy. He was worried they’d have to take the ferry again, which hadn’t been the best experience the first time around.

“Wait, so we actually have guys on our side now?” Noctis asked, coming up to stand next to Solis who was still smiling like an idiot.

Nyx nodded, smiling triumphantly. “We have ten brave souls willing to fight alongside you, Your Majesty.” He swept into a deep bow, causing Solis to snicker. “And we’ve found three Healers who will gladly aid the Oracle and Acolyte during battle.” That shut Solis up quickly.

“B-But I’m not the main healer, you should talk to Luna about that not me,” Solis said, the smile slipping off his face as easily as it had come. Solis felt Noctis’ hip nudge against his own and glanced up. The King’s face was scrunched up, furrowing in concern.

“Hey, you’re as important as Luna. When this thing starts for real, people will be following orders from both of you, not just Luna,” he said, determinedly looking into Solis’ own blue eyes. “Don’t forget this wouldn’t be possible without you.”

Solis nodded, grateful for the pep talk which ended just in time as Cor slapped his hand loudly against the hood of the car.

“Alright, Aranea wants us to meet her and her squad at the base of the Rock of Ravatogh,” Cor explained, pointing out the volcano on the map. “If we leave now, it means we’d get there before sundown. We can set up camp in one of the Havens close to the outpost and meet up with Aranea in the morning, alright?”

A chorus of nodding answered him, and Cor gave one of his own. “I will warn you, Aranea is a hard woman to please. She will want us to prove we’re worthy of her time and effort. Let’s not forget she’s giving up her place in the Empire for us. So let’s make it count.” Cor’s gaze bore into each of them in turn, and Solis could feel it lighting a fire under his ass.

Whoever this Aranea chick was, he wanted to show her what he and the others could do. They needed her if they were to take out the Empire, and subsequently Ardyn later on. They couldn’t do this without her help.


	17. Burn Baby Burn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This one gets a bit...heated. 
> 
> (No not in that way get your head outta the gutter!)

“I’m going to say this for the first time ever on this trip,” Solis began from where he’d laid his head against Ignis’ shoulder. “I’m _bored_ ,” he whined, tilting his head up to the sky so that his groan carried for a little bit longer. He could feel Ignis chuckling; his shoulders shook when he laughed.

“Me too,” came Prompto’s plaintive voice.

They’d arrived at the outpost on the dot at nine am, ready and waiting for this Aranea chick to show up. Solis hadn’t complained when they’d had to drive for four hours to get to the haven that night and didn’t whinge or whine when he was hauled from a peaceful sleep by Luna.

But since they’d been waiting and losing patience for about two hours now, Solis was at his limit. “I thought Cor said she’d be here,” Solis said quietly so only Ignis could hear. He leaned over to get a glimpse of the Marshall bent over the map once again, Nyx and Crowe at his sides.

Iris had volunteered to stay behind in Lestallum, promising to send any Hunters their way if they showed up. She’d meet them in Cape Caem when it was time. Although Solis doubted they’d be any help here.

According to what he could squeeze out of Nyx, Aranea was pretty badass on her own. She’d apparently turned up with her group of rebels the second time they encountered her, and from the few stories Solis had heard, those guys alone had been formidable.

From his seat beside Ignis, Solis watched as Noctis stood from Gladio’s lap on the floor. He kicked Prompto’s boot and smirked at his friend at his indignant squawk. “I’m gonna go see whether there’s any interesting hunts,” he said, “who knows how fast we’ll eat through the savings with the other three here.”

“I’ll come with you,” Solis said, pulling away from the Advisor with a quick peck on his cheek. Prompto was quick to scramble to his feet too, the prospect of doing something and getting out of the scorching heat appealing.

The others gave no protest – Cor, Nyx and Crowe didn’t even glance up as they passed them – and the cool shade of the outpost drew a sigh of satisfaction from Solis’ chest.

“That feels so good,” Prompto moaned in relief, basking in the shade the building provided as the three of them wandered over to the tipster.

The man was old and looked a bit shabby, but he was kind and welcoming as the three boys pulled themselves up onto the stools. “How can I help you three boys?” he asked cheerfully, wiping down the countertop on Solis’ left side.

“We’re wondering if there are any good hunts around. If not, is there a merchant we can sell some stuff to?” Noctis said immediately, crossing his arms on the counter and glancing at the noticeboard behind the tipster’s head.

“Oh, uh there’s only one hunt that’s ongoing ‘round here,” he replied, pulling the notice down and handing the yellowing piece of paper over to Noctis. “This bird’s been traumatising any Hunter darin’ to go up Ravatogh. You’d have ta be careful though, an’ bring a big group with ya.”

The beast looked terrifying in a 2D drawing, and Solis feared what it would look like in real life. However, the reward itself was enough to distract him from the nerves bubbling in his stomach.

“Don’t tell me you’re actually thinking of accepting it,” Prompto said, reading the poster over Noctis’ shoulder. He’d turned a bit pale, which Solis spotted after he noticed his shaking hands.

The sharpshooter glanced up to lock eyes with the Acolyte. “Not you too!” he groaned once he got a glimpse of the look in Solis’ blue eyes. Prompto’s head slumped against the countertop in misery as he accepted his fate.

“I mean, we’d have to discuss with the others. And besides,” Noctis said while hopping off his stool, “we’re still waiting on that Aranea chick. She could end up helping us you know.”

“That’s a guess though, not a guarantee,” Solis intoned, his mind whirling through the possibilities. “She could outright refuse and take her guys away then and there,” he said, putting up his index finger. “And she could also decide to just stay at the bottom of the volcano and let us take care of the bird.”

“ _Or,_ she could be a really nice person and generously offer her assistance with dealing with this enormous terrifying _thing_ ,” Prompto butted in. “You know? That’s a possibility.”

“That or she could use this as an excuse for us to prove ourselves to her,” Noctis said rationally. “Which sounds kinda privileged if you ask me.”

“Well, we are asking her to fight for a country she doesn’t even live in,” Solis countered. “I’d do the same if I were her.”

And, now that he thought about it, this Aranea chick did have the right to test them, she didn’t exactly know what she was getting into. Best to know now rather than when you’re facing down an army.

Cor outright refused their suggestion to a hunt, pointing out that not only were they running low on potions, but that they were still waiting on Aranea to show and, “we can’t leave the truck out in the open”.

So, the piece of paper was placed beside the map, and two of the three boys sulked for a good few minutes. Prompto happily sighed in relief taking his place once again in the bed of the truck.

Half an hour later they heard the grating sound of a Magitek engine, the whole group springing into action with their weapons at hand. It wasn’t any ship Solis recognised; the colourings were just slightly off and the flank was covered in more nicks and scratches than the issued Magitek engines.

It kicked up dust as it landed, causing Solis to cough into his hand as the door fell open, revealing three people inside the craft.

Solis recognised Aranea from the short few seconds she appeared on the Emperors broadcasts to his nation – she usually stood behind him – but he’d recognise that impressive lance anywhere. Although the two men with her were completely unknown.

Aranea seemed to ooze swagger as she made her way over to them, casting her gaze over their group. She came to a stop before Cor, smirking at the Marshall and cocking her hip with her hand laid upon it.

“Marshall Cor,” she began, “I’m surprised you had the patience to wait. I was expecting you to be gone by now.” Her smirk turned slightly menacing as she laughed. “I’m afraid we had to take the long way here. The Empire seems adamant to make travelling impossible in this country.”

“ _This country_ was fine until _your_ Empire took it over,” Noctis practically growled, not exactly in favour of her flippant attitude. “So perhaps you should’ve thought about that before joining the army.”

Aranea levelled her gaze onto the King, and Solis shivered. He could feel the iciness of her eyes and he wasn’t even being targeted. “Well I’m sorry I didn’t plan for your country to fall so quickly. I would’ve organised for visas.” Her mouth curled into a sneer now as she inched towards Noctis.

Solis gripped his hand tightly, refraining from summoning his staff just yet as there was no immediate danger.

“We didn’t think you’d come here to taunt us. Do you want to aid us or not?” Cor cut through their staring match, standing straight and tall to act slightly more menacing. “Or did you just come here to posture in front of us?” His eyebrows raised as Aranea cleared her throat and backed off.

“How many men do you have under your command?” she asked, finally pulling her extravagant helmet off of her head.

It was Nyx who replied this time. “Four of them have gone to Cape Caem to overlook the building of the royal yacht, all of them Kingsglaives,” he began. “We have ten Hunters ready to aid us and three Healers as well. We managed to put out a message to the other outposts to send any our way if needs be.”

“And does this force include you?” Aranea asked, bending over the map to see where they’d marked out the locations of their troops.

“Yes, and an informant who is waiting in Lestallum for any others,” Cor finished, and Solis mentally counted how many they had. Twenty six excluding Iris. Twenty six to battle against an army of maybe thousands of Magitek troops with more being made every day most likely.

However, he considered the fact that most of their force used magic, and four of them could warp which is a good asset in battle. Not to mention he and Luna could use some of their magic to pull some tricks on the troops.

“That seems like an awfully small number,” Aranea stated, stepping back from the map to cross her arms. “Are you sure you’re able to go up against the Empire with that small of an army?”

“That’s why we’re heading to Altissia; to gain more troops from Accordo,” Cor said, pointing to the set of islands on the map. “If we can convince them this is in their best interests, I’m sure they’d provide us with some men.”

“And you want my boys to join in on this, what do you call it? Rebellion?” Cor nodded in reply, and Aranea seemed to consider it.

“I need to see you boys in action before I make any decisions. I wouldn’t exactly want to walk into this blind,” she said inspecting her nails almost nonchalantly, and Solis watched as Noctis strode forward, almost shoving the notice for the hunt they’d picked up in her face.

“Would that be enough to prove ourselves?” he snarled, and Gladio stepped forward to place a calming hand on his shoulder.

Aranea considered the paper before smiling almost sweetly. “Yes, I think that’ll do. But only you and your entourage, _Your Majesty_ ,” she said finally. “And maybe bring the Oracle and Acolyte, I’d like to see whether you two shut ins have what it takes.”

Luna had to almost restrain Solis from jumping on the woman, and Ignis gently pulled him away with his hand on his shoulder to calm him. Solis buried his nose in the crook of Ignis’ shoulder when he was pulled into a hug, breathing in his scent to calm himself before turning back to the group.

“I’m going to stick my blade in her back if she isn’t careful,” he almost growled and Ignis chuckled from beside him.

There seemed to have been a consensus passed while they were distracted, Noctis, Cor and Aranea surrounding the map as they talked quietly. Solis made his way over to Gladio and Prompto as Ignis headed for the other three.

“Are we actually going through with this?” Solis asked incredulously, and Prompto nodded, rocking back and forth on his heels in excitement.

“Come on, you said you wanted to do it anyway,” he whined, and Solis huffed in annoyance.

“Yeah, but only for fun not to prove myself to a woman who’s got an ego bigger than the Emperor,” Solis said, crossing his arms in annoyance as Cor folded up the map, placing it inside his jacket pocket.

“Looks like we’re on the move,” Gladio said quietly and the three of them went over to the truck.

“Nyx, Crowe and I will stay here and get any supplies we will need for the trip to Cape Caem. It also means we get to keep an eye on the phone if we get any updates,” Cor said. “Noctis and his group including Luna and Solis will go with Aranea on the hunt.”

“It takes a few hours to get up Ravatogh, so I suggested we camped for the night,” Aranea said, casting an icy stare to Cor. “However the Marshall here has expressly mentioned the fact that you are needed in Cape Caem and that we can’t spend two days on this hunt. So, there is a quick route up the mountain, but the downside is that we’re most likely to bump into more monsters.”

“That’s fine,” Noctis said, nonchalantly, “the more monsters, the better; more heads to crack.” And Solis smirked, nodding along in agreement. He was ready to smash some monsters too.

“Alright then, meet back here when you’re finished and we’ll head off for Cape Caem,” Cor said, and the groups said their goodbyes.

The beginning of the walk wasn’t too bad with only some spirocorn’s and gigantic wasps that Solis forgot the name of popping up. It did give the group the chance to talk. Specifically for Luna and Solis to find out what had happened since they’d left Tenebrae.

“Well, the Emperor is slowly going senile, even with countless amounts of people following him,” Aranea said almost sarcastically. “Doesn’t help that he has that slime ball hanging over his shoulder.”

“Who? Ardyn?” Solis asked, interest peaked.

“No, the Pope. Of course Ardyn!” Aranea deadpanned, staring at the Acolyte in annoyance.

“Well _excuse me_ , I haven’t been there a few weeks someone could’ve easily chopped off his head and taken his place,” he shot back, frowning at the woman’s back as he continued to trudge up the path behind her.

Once again, Ignis’ calming presence prevented Solis from pouncing on Aranea, and he smiled gratefully up at the Advisor.

“He’s been putting ideas into the Emperor’s head. Or so I’ve heard, I haven’t exactly seen it in action,” Aranea continued. “Something about taking over control of the gods. It’s gotten old Aldercapt more paranoid than usual.”

Solis furrowed his brow at that thought. “It’s more than that though. He has something bigger planned, not to mention the fact that he’s the reason we’re in this mess in the first place.”

That caused a halt in their hike, most of the group turning to Solis in shock. Solis could see Luna face palming out of the corner of his eye as Noctis slid down the hill back to Solis.

“Why didn’t you say this sooner?! All this time we thought it was just the Emperor we were fighting and now you’re saying there’s yet another enemy we have to fight?!” Noctis exclaimed brow furrowing in concern.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t able to immediately tell you, _Your Majesty_ but I was busy being held captive in my own home,” Solis seethed, scowling at his brother now.

“What about Dad?! You could’ve easily sent him a letter to let him know that you found out! He would’ve done something!”

Solis scoffed incredulously. “Oh yes, the father who left us behind to go and hide behind magic instead of helping a country that was obviously in trouble the moment he stepped across the border? Yeah I’m sure he would’ve been running to our aid!”

“Don’t disrespect him! He was a great man, and an even greater ruler. It’s the Empire’s fault he wasn’t able to come help you!” The two of them were shouting now.

“Oh that’s right, blame the Empire. That’s all we’re doing whenever something goes wrong,” Solis jeered, his anger sweeping him along for the ride. “Oh, I lost my sock! That damned Empire is behind this! Oh no! We’re on a path of darkness and destruction! Let’s blame the one evil we see instead of realising the evil is actually the gods we worship.”

“This isn’t about that. It’s about the fact that you _lied_ to me! You and Luna have been saying that we’d only need to kill the Emperor and that’d be it! But no, you neglected to tell me that in fact there is someone else we have to kill! Someone else’s blood on our hands!”

“Well I’m sorry, between trying to keep us off the path that would lead us to death, and negotiating a new deal with the gods, _and_ trying to figure out my feelings without getting killed in the process, I wasn’t able to tell you that your somewhat distant relative is the vessel for the Starscourge,” Solis exclaimed, breathing heavily as they all listened to his voice reverberate off the rock walls.

“We were going to tell you Noctis,” Luna said quietly, “but with all that’s been happening we thought it best if we told you at a later stage.”

Noctis frowned, casting his gaze towards the Oracle, his features darkening before he turned on his heal and continued walking. Solis sighed in disappointment, watching his brother go sadly.

He could feel Ignis standing by him as the others continued after the King, including Luna. Casting his eyes down to his shoes, Solis expected a lash back from the way he treated Noctis, but only silence greeted him.

“Go on then. You going to follow your King who I _lied_ to?” His voice was laced with bitterness as the Advisor came to stand in front of him.

“When I came into this relationship, I knew at one stage I’d have to make a choice,” Ignis began, and Solis could feel tears brimming. This was it. It was over.

“I have a duty to my King, that is undeniable,” Ignis continued, and Solis wiped his nose with his wrist. “But I also have a duty to my heart.” Ignis snagged Solis’ hand, intertwining their fingers together as the Acolyte stayed quiet.

“I knew that at one stage I would have to make a choice between my King, and my Heart. And either choice was going to change the direction of my path.” Solis could feel Ignis’ finger under his chin, lifting his face up so that his eyes connected with Ignis’ green ones.

“I’m choosing to fulfil my duty to my heart. You’re mine, Solis. And yes, you could’ve handled that better. But so could Noctis. And right now, you need me more than he does,” Ignis told him, firmly and the tears began to make their way down Solis’ cheeks.

He wasn’t sure who leaned forward first, but suddenly they were kissing. It was wetter than the last one, and Solis could taste the salt of his tears on his lips. But butterflies erupted in his stomach all the same, and their surroundings fell away.

There was nothing to Solis except Ignis and the softness of his lips.

 “I know, but I could’ve handled it better,” Solis said once they pulled away, voice weighed down with regret. “I should’ve told him sooner, but with what happened with the King, and his home I didn’t want to burden him anymore.”

Ignis didn’t say anything, but wrapped his arm around the smaller male, and Solis leaned into him gratefully. They stayed there for a few more seconds until Ignis prompted Solis to start walking again, and the Acolyte suddenly realised the others were far ahead of them.

The conversation turned tense once the two of them caught up, and Solis could tell Noctis was stubbornly ignoring him, not even glancing back at him even though Gladio continuously looked back at the two of them.

“Who’s commanding the army now seeing as General Glauca was killed,” Luna asked Aranea once she’d checked Solis was alright.

The mercenary seemed to be hesitant to answer, a muscle in her jaw twitching as if she were gritting her teeth. “You would know him, Princess,” she replied, and Luna winced at hearing her childhood title, but she furrowed her brows as Solis began to pay attention. “Your brother, Ravus.”

Ravus was _alive!_ They’d presumed him dead when the Emperor had had him dragged away from the two of them. They hadn’t seen hide nor hair of him, and Luna had refused to hold a funeral for months, thinking he’d stroll right through the doors again.

That hadn’t been the best of times. Solis had found it difficult dragging himself let alone Luna out of bed most days. But his one motivator was that Ravus wouldn’t want him doing nothing. He’d want Solis and Luna to be working towards getting stronger.

“R-Ravus is, _alive?!_ ” Luna whispered, and Aranea turned around again, confusion painted across her face.

“Yes, he’s been leading the army for quite some time now. Ever since old Glauca kicked the bucket. What with that new arm Ardyn gave him. One of my men, Biggs, said it reeked of daemon. Don’t ask me how he knew, he didn’t bother to tell me.”

Solis strode up to her suddenly. “What arm? Last time we saw him he had all four extremities intact and now you say he’s got a prosthetic?” he asked and Aranea stepped back slightly.

“Yeah, he’s had it for the time he’s been commanding the army. At least, that’s what I’ve heard anyway,” she replied, and Solis glanced at Luna worriedly.

“Are you three just gonna slow us all down? Cor wants us back _before_ sundown, not after,” Noctis called back, and Solis felt half a mind to throw up a rude gesture at him but held back. Angering the king while so close to the edge of a volcano would be a bad move.

The rest of the walk was completed in silence, save for the odd grunt from one of them as they struggled up the steep incline. They managed to reach the top of the volcano without injury, however they came across an empty nest. One that looked like it could hold a big bird.

“Where _is_ this beast. I’m starting to get hungry,” Solis grumbled as they slid down the incline, almost tripping on a stray rock on his way down.

“You and me both buddy,” Prompto replied, clapping his hand onto Solis’ shoulder.

“We all must be wary, the bird could attack at any minute,” Ignis told them all, unsheathing his knives from their holsters. At that moment, the bird chose to reveal itself, shrieking loudly as it swooped towards them.

Both parties held out for a long time during the battle, the Zu landing harshly on the ground to throw them all off balance whilst they attacked its claws when it landed.

It pinned all of them under its claws at least once, but someone was there to help each time. Well, at least when Solis had been pinned, Noctis had been right beside him but didn’t help, turning to warp to the birds head, dealing a hard strike to its beak.

Ignis came to Solis’ aid not two seconds later, and the Acolyte thanked him in a loud voice before the two of them leapt back into the fray.

Noctis continually avoided Solis for the remainder of the fight, warping over to the other side of the clearing whenever he spotted Solis near. It was clear that Solis was getting a very cold shoulder from the King.

“Thanks for your help _Noctis,_ ” Solis hissed at him once the bird was dead, stalking up to him and using his extra inch of height to glare down at him.

“Why’re you thanking me? I didn’t do anything to save your lying _snake_ of an ass,” Noctis growled back, shoving his finger hard into Solis’ chest.

“I didn’t lie,” Solis threw back.

“Oh yeah? Well you _certainly_ didn’t tell the whole truth,” Noctis exclaimed, voice rising to match Solis’ volume.

“All right that’s _enough_ ,” came Gladio’s booming voice as the Shield pushed the two of them apart roughly. Solis thrashed slightly against Gladio’s arm but finally stilled, crossing his arms over his chest.

“You’re acting like children!” Gladio levelled the two of them with a glare and Solis wanted the floor to open up and swallow him right then and there he was so full of guilt.

“Noctis, you are right in the sense that Solis and Luna didn’t tell the whole truth,” Gladio began and Noctis smirked at his brother who almost growled and pushed at Gladio’s arm again. “But, you’re not the only one in this group, Noct. And you’re _certainly_ not the only one hurting.”

“Solis and Luna had to go through a lot to get to us, so if they missed to tell us something then that’s not entirely their fault,” Gladio continued once everyone was calm. “Solis, you could’ve handled that conversation a lot better, you know that getting riled up so easily won’t help.”

Solis glanced down to his boots in shame, scuffing the floor with them.

“We’re a _team_. And team’s usually do share all the information they have, but they also don’t leave their friends high and dry,” Gladio continued, giving Noctis a hard stare.

“So, if we’re all nice and calm, we can get out of this gods-forsaken place and get the reward we deserve,” Gladio said, shouldering past the two of them.

After a few seconds of silence, Solis sighed and turned to his brother. “He’s right you know,” he told Noctis, and the King reluctantly nodded. “Look, I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you about Ardyn.”

“I’m sorry too, for not considering what you’ve been through. And for leaving you under that bird’s foot,” Noctis grudgingly said.

“Tell you what, it didn’t half smell,” Solis said, chuckling as the two brothers began to follow the group. He slung his arm over Noctis’ shoulders. “Brothers?” he asked, holding out his fist to him.

Noctis smiled gently and touched his knuckles to Solis’. “Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting very close to Altissia!! I'm really excited for everyone to read it. 
> 
> Anyway Noctis behave yourself and Solis - my bb, my sunshine boi, you knuckled head - play nice, and I'll see you in two weeks guys!!!


	18. I'll Swim and Sail on Savage Seas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lot of discussion.

“Three more men have joined our ranks,” Cor told the group once they’d returned. “I just got the call from Iris. The yacht is ready to depart as well.”

“How many does that make us?” Noctis asked urgently, casting the Zu eggs they collected into the Armiger with a flash of blue light.

“Around thirty, give or take,” Cor replied, glancing over at Aranea who was in the midst of handing over the hunts reward to Ignis. The Marshall made his way over to her, giving her a hard stare.

“Is it just me, or did the atmosphere just become really tense?” Solis whispered to Luna who nodded her head.

“I could cut it with my trident it’s that thick,” she answered, and the two of them continued to watch the Marshall square up to the Mercenary.

“Will you aid us in our quest to take down the Empire?” Cor asked Aranea. “Is our cause just enough for you to lend your sword?”

“Well, technically it’s a Dragoon Lance, but who’s keeping up with details,” Aranea said sarcastically, waving her hand in a dismissive manner. “I suppose if you desperately need my help, and it takes out my employers, so I don’t have to worry about being caught if I go rouge, then yes. I’ll help you.”

It felt as if everyone gave a sigh of relief as Cor smiled at Aranea. “Thank you, we won’t be needing your help as of yet, but if there’s a way of contacting you we’d be able to let you know when you’re needed.”

Aranea snorted suddenly. “You gonna ask me out lover boy? Buy a girl a drink before you get her number.” She smirked and Solis attempted to hold in his laughter in vain as he snorted loudly.

“Sorry, just Cor getting hit on is somehow really funny,” he said when everyone’s attention turned to him, and Prompto began to join in.

Cor obviously didn’t appreciate the laughter, if his bright red cheeks were anything to go by. “Alright you bunch of kids, get in the truck we’re leaving,” Cor exclaimed, layering on the “dad voice” thick which caused Solis to crack up more as the others joined in now.

“It’s not that funny,” Cor grouched, still blushing in embarrassment as they all clambered in.

The drive was pleasant, and Aranea waved them off from her airship. It would only take them the afternoon to get there but, while on the road they encountered a little…hitch.

“Hey, guys? There’s someone in the middle of the road,” Prompto warned, leaning out his window in the passenger seat to get a good look. Both Solis and Luna stood up to take a peak as well.

They couldn’t see much of it as Ignis slowed the car’s pace, but whoever they were, they certainly weren’t moving. And they weren’t even in the middle of the whole road, just their lane so it would be easy for them to go around whoever it was.

And yet this made it seem all the more ominous, as if the person had been waiting for them.

Once they drew closer, Solis could make out more details. A flowing coat that looked a bit too heavy for such sweltering weather. Boots polished so that they shone in the midday sun. And a very familiar fedora hat, set upon maroon coloured hair.

“Get down!” Solis said, yanking Luna down to where he now huddled in the bed of the truck.

“What? What’s the matter?” Noctis asked from the backseat and Solis manoeuvred his neck so that he could whisper through the back window.

“It’s Ardyn!” he whisper-shouted, glancing out the front window where the Chancellor was in plain view, Ignis pulling the key from the ignition.

“What do we do?!” Prompto asked quietly and desperately.

“I don’t know, but just don’t let him know we’re here unless he indicates he already knows,” Luna said quietly, pulling up the hood of her jacket.

“Ah, the entourage finally arrives! Prince Noctis! Won’t you come out and join me? Although I suppose it is _King_ Noctis now?” Ardyn’s voice was as slimy and cajoling as Solis remembered, and it sent shivers up his spine.

“Unless you’d preferred if I came to you?” Ardyn questioned, and Solis sent a desperate look to Luna. However the door to Solis’ right was pushed open, and the Acolyte could see the Regalia which carried the three Kingsglaives catching up to their position.

“What do you want, Chancellor?” Noctis asked, laying on as much malice as he could to his words.

“Oh, how wonderful! You know who I am, that means I can get right to what I wanted to say to you,” Ardyn said, chuckling in what Solis could almost say was joy, but had an underlying current of _evil_ underneath.   

Solis could hear Noctis’ footsteps as he and the others approached the man. The stone crunched underfoot, and their voices grew muffled, but not enough for them to be indiscernible.

“And that is what? You come to taunt us like you did in Galdin Quay?” Noctis asked again, and Solis shot a terrified look to Luna. That’s not good, if they met him, Ardyn could’ve tried to put the original plan into play.

There was a silence then, but it only lasted a few seconds before Ardyn asked a question of his own. “Going somewhere?” he asked almost innocently. “Off to find some soldiers for your _pathetic_ army perhaps?”

There was the sound of swords being unsheathed and guns being cocked as the man laughed. “Oh don’t worry. I won’t be doing anything _drastic_ to your little group,” he mocked. “It’s actually quite amusing that you think a force of _that size_ could take down the Empire.”

Solis gripped his hand into a fist in anger. How dare Ardyn spit on their efforts. It wasn’t their fault that half the able bodied men were dead. Solis had half a mind to stand and place the blame on Ardyn himself. Except, Solis used his head and stayed down, continuing to listen in to the conversation.

“What we’re doing is of none of your concern,” Ignis’ voice called out next. “And if you’ll kindly move from the road we’ll be on our way.”

Ardyn chuckled, and Solis could just see that smug look on his face. “I’m afraid it _does_ concern me if it includes your two stowaways,” he replied, and both Solis and Luna tensed. “I’ll let you keep them for a while, but I would like them back. It’s been so _lonely_ in the manor without them, you see.”

“We have no idea what you’re talking about,” Noctis shot back, and Solis could hear the fear underlaying his words.

“I’m not going to take them back quite yet, although I might pay them a little, shall we say, _visit_.” Solis shivered, feeling as if those words were crawling up his spine to fester within his brain.

“For now, I’ll let you on your way. But we will see each other soon. Ta ta!” The pressure in the atmosphere dropped enough that Solis’ ears popped, and after a few seconds, he and Luna poked their heads over the roof of the truck.

“He knows about us,” Solis said shakily, staring desperately towards Ignis for comfort as he and Luna climbed down from the truck once they deemed it safe. “ _How_ does he know about us?” He buried his head into Ignis’ chest once he was pulled into a hug, breathing in his now familiar scent of bergamot and cedar.

“Not only that but he knows we’re making a force to fight him. Who knows what other information he’s discovered, or how much he’s told the Emperor,” Noctis said, leaning against Gladio for comfort. “Tell you what though, I didn’t like the feeling of his aura. It was so dark, menacing and evil.”

“Try living with that for years on end,” Solis snorted bitterly, glancing up at the sound of the Regalia’s engine.

“You guys alright?” Cor asked as he stepped out of the car, glancing at where Ardyn had been minutes before hand.

“Yeah,” Noctis replied, “just had a little surprise visit is all.” He shoved his hands in his pockets as Solis sent a frown his way. Noctis shook it off but still Solis was confused.

Why didn’t Noctis tell Cor about Ardyn? Surely the fact that their greatest enemy knew what their plans were was important? And that Noctis should send one of them to search for him to find out how he knows about this.

But, the issue was left to the side and they all climbed back into the vehicles with no complaints.

                                      __________________  
The yacht bobbed up and down with the waves as Solis watched Gladio place a photo in his breast pocket. He wouldn’t be surprised if it was one of Iris, the goodbye between the siblings had been enough for Solis to shed a tear.

Cid had done a very fine job on the yacht, and his daughter Cindy had travelled to see his handiwork. Which, in turn also meant that Solis got to see Prompto as a blushing mess which was entertainment in and of itself.

The old man drove the boat as the rest of them lounged about on deck, most of them chatting.

Solis sat on a seat that faced the coastline of Lucis, watching it get smaller and smaller on the horizon. He was nervous for the next step in their journey, after all it was unseen territory for him; he’d never had to do diplomatic negotiations. Especially not for the lives of others.

Their group was by no means small. There was Noctis and his entourage – naturally – then him and Luna and then Nyx, who had been ordered to come with them whilst Cor and the rest gathered their force to be receiving their King when they returned. Solis felt very intimidated that this mission would be the deciding factor for if they’d win or lose this battle.

Luna plopped herself down on the bench beside him, crossing one leg over the other deftly. “We need to talk.”

“About Ravus?” Solis asked quietly, and Luna nodded. He sighed and turned to face her. “It’s been, what? Almost two years since he was taken away. How do we know he’s going to be the same _if_ we rescue him?”

“We don’t, but it would mean that he would be out of the Empire’s control, we could fix him,” Luna argued.

“Yes, but what about what Aranea said? About the daemon arm?” Solis countered. “Who knows what Ardyn could’ve done with that thing. For all we know he could be mind controlled.”

“And what if he isn’t, and we didn’t try and he’s still within the Empire’s grasp? We have to at least _try._ ”

Solis paused and considered, a pained look flittering through his eyes. He sighed. “Alright, we can look if and when we get to Gralea. If there’s a chance to save him, we will. But,” and Solis stared hard at Luna, “under no circumstances will we sacrifice ourselves or anyone else in the group for him. Agreed?”

Luna stared down at Solis’ extended hands for a few painful seconds, and Solis could practically see the cogs turning in her mind.

“Agreed,” she said finally, shaking Solis’ hand firmly. They sat there for a few minutes in silence, their intertwined hands sitting between them. “Do you think we’re ready?”

The question seemed heavy, loaded with a double meaning as Solis sighed. “I think we’ll be able to hold our ground if we get some help from Altissia and essentially Accordo. Although I hardly think the rest of them are going to get off their asses to help.”

Luna snorted in laughter, burying her face in the junction between Solis’ neck and shoulders. Solis could see Nyx glancing over at them from where he stood at the railing, the man looking away while shaking his head in exasperation when Solis made eye contact with him.

Someone cleared their throat behind them and the two swung around in their seats, Solis blushing once he realised it was Ignis.

“I don’t suppose I could steal him for a few minutes?” he asked, a small smile dancing across his lips.

Luna gave no resistance as Solis stood from his seat. She winked as Solis passed her and the Acolyte none too gently whacked her arm.

“You alright?” he asked once Ignis stopped them on the port side of the yacht, leaning his arms against the railing. Solis copied him, gazing at the open stretch of water before them.

Ignis heaved a heavy sigh, running his hands through his hair before he began. “I know that we’ve only been at this for a few weeks,” and at that he gestured between them.

Solis attempted to stifle his laughter, unsuccessfully.

“But I was wondering whether we have a specific title I suppose for what we have. I would like to know whether you consider what we have as important as I do,” Ignis said quite quickly, and Solis had to mull those words in his head.

“This is my first time doing anything like this. Being stuck in a manor for multiple years does _nothing_ for ones love life,” Solis said, and Ignis chuckled. “I honestly don’t think we should put a label or a title on what we have. It’s ours, we don’t have to put it into simpler terms for others. Unless, that’s what you want?”

“No, no, no! I was only curious under the means of convenience. For example Noct and Gladio call what they have something pretentious in Old Lucian. I’m perfectly content if you are,” Ignis said, smiling down at Solis.

“That’s good,” Solis said, leaning up slightly to peck Ignis on the lips. He placed his arm around Ignis’ waist and watched the sea pass by for a few minutes, Ignis’ cheek pressed against the crown of his head.

“Not that I want to interrupt this cute picture,” came Noctis’ voice from behind them, causing the two to turn around, “but can I talk to you for a sec?”

“I should discuss with Cid how we’re going to get past the border security, excuse me,” Ignis said, politely removing himself from Solis’ side.

“It’s about what you said on Ravatogh,” Noctis began, taking up Ignis’ spot beside Solis. The Acolyte stiffened in anticipation. “Something about Ardyn being a distant relation?”

Solis didn’t relax as he resumed his position leaning against the railing once again. He rubbed at his tired eyes before beginning. “I don’t know much about what happened as there is only a few history books on the Lucis Caelum line and most of them gloss over Ardyn’s history.”

“Well, I won’t be of much help. I never paid attention in history lessons,” Noctis said, snorting loudly in laughter.

“And you were training to be King? Wow, what a great role model you would’ve made,” Solis said sarcastically, earning himself a punch from Noctis.

“From what I can remember, the books told of two brothers, Somnus and Ardyn. Ardyn was the eldest and meant to become king, but because of the fact he absorbed the Starscourge to protect his people, the crystal rejected him and Somnus took his place,” Solis explained, and waited for Noctis to take in the information, watching as many emotions flittered in his eyes.

“So, Ardyn is our something great uncle?” Noctis asked, slightly shocked. “I don’t think I’d be able to see him that way.”

“I don’t think anyone could, he’s meant to be dead and turned to bones at this point, but he’s roaming the world and causing trouble for us,” Solis said, sighing in annoyance. “The books didn’t say anything beyond that, so we’ve got nothing to explain how he’s still alive despite being about two thousand years old.”

“Maybe it’s something we should ask him?” Noctis pondered.

“Oh yeah, and while we’re at it we’ll invite him for tea,” Solis said sarcastically. “We don’t chat with him, he’s too dangerous.”

“Take a look boys! We’re just about to hit the entrance of Altissia,” Cid called from where he sat by the wheel, drawing Solis and Noctis’ attention.

“We need to keep our guard up, from now on, we’re on our own. And I have no idea what will happen,” Solis said quietly and Noctis nodded before both their breaths were taken away by the sight that greeted their eyes a few seconds later.

When Solis had pictured Altissia, he’d thought it would look something like Tenebrae. Although he thought the same of Lucis and was proven sorely incorrect. It was because the only country he ever saw was Tenebrae, so Solis filled what he expected in with what he knew.

Altissia was _very_ different to Tenebrae. Where his home was sprawling fields of sylleblossoms and tall structures towering over everything else, Altissia was a cacophonous city of water.

Great waterfalls surrounded the outskirts, and Solis guessed he wouldn’t be able to see the bottom even if he tried. From where the yacht was coming into the docks, Solis could see long, narrow boats traversing around the buildings, and curiously watched them glide by.

The architecture was all marble and brick, high arches and square buildings. The builder obviously wanted them to take in the beautiful city at their leisure, shown by the long stretch of water they traversed to get to the docks. They passed a few security booths on the way, and Solis’ hands began to shake slightly with nerves.

However, Cid parked the yacht with ease and the rest hopped out nonchalantly. The old man ordered them to stay put and sauntered over to one of the guards.

“What’s he doing?” Solis whispered to Ignis.

“Most likely gaining us access, or visas, one or the other,” he replied, and Solis nodded in understanding.

“This’ll be an interesting trip,” Solis said, grinning up at Ignis.

“Indeed,” the Advisor replied with a smirk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Exams should never been invented. Whoever came up with the idea should be sent to the very depths of hell. 
> 
> I hope everyone is doing alright! I was surprised at myself for getting this out on time. I came home today and proceeded to nap for about an hour. Doing two exams in one day sucks ass. And one of them was three hours long which was a drag. 
> 
> But! I do have a little surprise for you. It's my birthday in a few days (finally turning into an adult) and as a celebration, I will be posting an extra chapter. Granted it's only a few days before I'm meant to post the next one but seeing as this next lot of happenings are big I thought I'd keep you guys from the agony of a long wait for the next chapter (looking in your direction Lynx) as there are going to be some big cliffies coming. 
> 
> So, remember the date: February 14th! And I will see you all then.   
> Ta Ta!


	19. Keep your friends close...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the shortest chapter to date (oops) but a bonus chapter is a good chapter. Happy Birthday to Me and Happy Valentines day to those who celebrate it.

“We want to be careful and diplomatic with the negotiations,” Ignis said, moving out of the way as a lady strut past him on the street. “Also, Solis and Luna? Hoods up.”

“What? But it’s so hot why?” Solis whined, reluctantly pulling the cloth up over his head. They hadn’t even gotten into the main part of the city and already the heat was _killing_ him.

“If you want to be captured by Imperial officials that’s on you dude,” Prompto said, shrugging nonchalantly and almost unapologetically at Solis’ glare.

“We don’t know what to expect from the Secretary, and we want to get into her good graces to get the aid we need,” Ignis explained. “So best to mind your manners, Noct.” At that Ignis gave Noctis a purposeful look and the King rolled his eyes fondly.

Altissia was abuzz with activity. Stalls lined the streets selling all matter of things, from ice cream to t-shirts and sunhats to beat the oppressing heat. The water sparkled an iridescent blue and the gondolas glided by effortlessly, which Solis had found out, were free to ride due to the support they got from the city’s council.

“So, what’s the plan Iggy?” Prompto asked as he dodged another seller trying to shove her fruit into his hands to purchase. Altissian shopkeepers were stubborn as spirocorns which greatly surprised Solis, he hadn’t expected them to be so…pushy.

“We need to find the Secretary’s manor and speak to an official to organise a meeting with her. The sooner the better,” Ignis replied.

“And how do we find the Secretary’s manor?” Nyx asked from where he trailed behind them.

“Ask around?” Luna wondered, glancing at the people they passed. Most didn’t stop to talk, and others were walking too fast to catch.

“Yes, but we also have the maps in the information booths, so asking for directions could be our back up plan,” Ignis replied, leading them over to a bright yellow booth, unmanned but covered in leaflets for festivals and events.

“Ooh Prom look! A photography festival,” Solis said, pulling out the leaflet for the Sharpshooter.

“Solis they’ve got a garden centre on Victor street,” Luna called, pointing to the poster stuck to the side of the booth, causing the Acolyte to gasp and hurry over.

“Hey Gladio! One of your favourite authors are doing a book signing, look!” Noctis called from the other side.

“Yes that’s all very well and good but we’re not here for events and festivals. If we have time we can take a look at a few of them,” Ignis said, not unkindly but Solis could hear the undertones of exasperation and irritation in his voice.

They all surrounded the map, and Solis could see Nyx slipping a leaflet into his pocket out of the corner of his eye before the man joined them.

“Alright we need to go down Bleaker street and catch a gondola, turn onto Victor avenue and head straight on. Sounds easy enough,” Nyx said, pointing out their route on the map.

“Yeah you _say_ it’s easy, but I bet we’ll be lost in five minutes,” Solis said sarcastically, stepping out of the way of a pair of gossiping women laid down with shopping bags.

“Why do you say that?” Prompto asked.

“Because I don’t trust Noctis’ sense of direction,” Solis replied.

“Hey!” came the indignant shout and Solis snorted in laughter.

No sooner had they gotten off the gondola they got lost. And it wasn’t because of Noctis’ supposed lack of direction but because Solis and Ignis argued like an old married couple about which avenue they had to head straight onto. So they spent ten minutes more getting to the manor than they had originally planned. Although the others were very entertained on the way there.

The manor was in a completely different area of Altissia, filled with shops and large houses. There were more tourists here, and they all had to be very aware of their surroundings as they wandered down the street.

Two security booths manned the great gate, both occupied by guards dressed in uniform. Ignis stepped up to one of them.

“We’re here to see Secretary Claustra on urgent business,” he said to one of the guards who glanced up to ask his name. The man caught sight of Noctis standing just behind Ignis. The guard’s face blanched, and his hands began to shake as he scuttled out of the booth and through the side entrance of the manor.

Solis furrowed his brow in confusion as the group watched the guard go.

“That was unexpected,” Solis muttered.

“Well,” Noctis began smirking, “when you’re as well known and famous as me, that happens often.”

“Oh, and what happened to staying undercover, Princess?” Gladio snarked, ruffling Noctis’ hair playfully.

The prince scowled at his Shield in annoyance, putting his hair to rights. Solis chuckled at his brother’s antics, brushing his fingers gently over the hood of his jacket to secure it. He could spy Luna doing the same out of the corner of his eye, nodding to her once she glanced at him to check on him.

The guard came running back a few minutes later, whispered to his companion and then addressed Ignis once again, sharply.

“Madam Secretary will see you shortly, if you’d like to follow me to the foyer,” he said as the gate slowly opened, the iron hinges screeching. The guard’s voice was slightly nasally, and irritated Solis’ ears slightly, but he didn’t say a word as he followed the others into the building. The last thing he wanted to do was to start off on the wrong foot.

The inside was as beautiful as the outside. Simplistic yet gorgeous, Solis knew his Mum would be gushing over the décor, the furniture, even the carpet if she could. It was all coloured a deep royal blue, and a few of the countries flags hung from the ceiling here and there.

The deep red of the Niflheim flag was present in the deep cherry red furniture, and Solis skimmed his hand back and forth across the fabric of the velvet sofa they sat on. He found it comforted his nerves for a while as they waited, although it didn’t abate the butterflies that were beating a tornado in his stomach.

Another man approached them some fifteen minutes later, walking briskly towards them. He clutched a clipboard under his arm and had an air of superiority around him and yet, when he spoke he sounded completely sincere and polite – if a little bossy.

“Madam Secretary will see you now, if you’ll follow me please,” the man said curtly, and the group stood to follow.

Solis lost track of how many corners they turned or the amount of corridors they went down, although he was distracted by the gorgeous view of the city out of the massive elegant windows. He was thankful for Ignis’ leading arm as they traversed the carpeted floors.

The office of the First Secretary held little in the way of Imperial representation. Solis thought it looked completely different to the rest of the manor, which made him smile at the thought of it being quite rebellious.

The room seemed to centre around the desk by the fireplace, mahogany wood a start difference to the cherry furniture in the manor. It was littered with pages and the back wall was occupied by a great bookcase. A sofa and two armchairs scattered themselves over an ornate rug.

“Prince Noctis of Lucis and his entourage Madam Secretary,” the man said before bowing and leaving.

Solis stepped to the back of the group with Luna, gripping her arm securely as Noctis shook the First Secretary’s hand.

“Madam Secretary. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me,” Noctis began, firmly grasping the woman’s hand in his own.

“There was no need for me to agree to meet Prince Noctis as I knew you would be coming anyway. Or is it King Noctis now?” Noctis visibly flinched slightly and the First Secretary’s expression softened. “I’m sorry for your loss, your father was a great man. I’d hoped he’d have been able to overcome the Empire; put a stop to that ghastly man Aldercapt.”

“Thank you. My father had always wanted to bring me here himself. It’s a beautiful city,” Noctis said politely.

“Yes it is isn’t it?” she replied, gazing fondly at the buildings outside. “I did find it quite surprising you didn’t find your way to me sooner.”

“I’m sorry?” Noctis asked, confused.

She laughed quietly to herself before replying. “Well, news does travel fast. Especially interesting gossip of a young man dressed in royal black with an entourage. One who seems to be recruiting men for a ‘noble cause’ as some seem to suggest.”

Solis gaped from under his hood. _That might explain how Ardyn knew what we were doing,_ he thought.

“I suppose you’ve come here asking for Accordo’s aid?” the Secretary asked, her gaze suddenly turning cold.

“With all due respect Madam Secretary, you don’t even know if that’s why we’re here,” Noctis said cautiously.

“Yes, but I am correct am I not? You enter my country, quite illegally I might add, place my subjects in danger by being here because of the outright bounty on your heads and then expect me to hand over Altissia’s one mode of defence?” she asked angrily.

The whole group flinched this time and Solis didn’t have time to stop her as Luna yanked down her hood.

“With all due respect _Madam Secretary_ was it not you who fought for Accordo’s independence from the Empire and still wishes for her country to be free?” Luna said sharply, striding forward to meet the Secretary, ignoring both Noctis and Solis’ protests.

“Well, I suppose you would know a thing or two about attempting to win a country’s independence, Lady Oracle,” the Secretary replied, an ugly look masking over her face.

Luna flinched and glared at the woman but held her ground, whilst Noctis attempted to hold her back.

“Madam Secretary, we only wished to negotiate the possibility of recruiting a few of your men, we did not wish to negate your country of its defence,” Ignis placated and the Secretary sniffed in annoyance.

“Yes, well it’s all well and good to negotiate these things but, in the end, I’d need something in return,” she replied.

A deadly silence fell over the room and Solis could hear the grandfather clock in the hallway ticking the seconds away. He didn’t realise he’d balled his hands into fists until he felt the skin break, small rivulets of blood dripping down his fingers.

“Something in return?” Noctis asked quietly, head bowed so that his fringe covered his gaze. Solis could feel his magic riling up in anger, could see his disgust in the way his hands shook.

“Do you think we have _anything_ to give?! What, do you want my country when I get it back?! My throne?! We have _nothing_ to give you! Everything was taken from me. From _us_! And now you come along and ask us for something in return for possibly recruiting some of your men to take down the very force _you_ wish to be rid of yourself! What kind of fucked up mentality is that?!”

Noctis breathed heavily, his blue eyes drilling holes into the Secretary’s skull as everyone stayed silent, most of them looking at the King in shock. Solis could see that the Secretary was regretting her words now, could see the grief flitting through her eyes. _Good_ Solis thought, glaring slightly at the Secretary.

Solis was about to step forward to have his own say, almost putting his right foot in front of his left, before a shadow passed across the floor. One that look quite familiar and turned into multiple.

His head jolted to look out the window quickly, rubbing his eyes a few times to ensure what he was seeing was true. And it was, the sound of them was real, the sight of them was real.

And the group watched as Imperial airships began to drop bombs on the east side of the city.

                                      _________________

The scientists in Gralea always complained about the standards of the labs that were provided for them. They were either too dark, too cold, didn’t get enough natural light or the power cut out sporadically because of the harsh weather that coated the country.

Verstael Besithia hardly had time to think about these meagre complaints, no matter how many times his subordinates came to him personally. He had too much to do; too many ideas to put into play, too many upgrades that needed to be fabricated.

So, when one of those subordinates of his came in through his door, he tended to tune out, not listen and ignore whichever idiotic scientist had come in to whine at him that day.

This time was different, however.

Verstael had never found a pastime as intriguing as examining organisms under a microscope. He could sit for hours on his lab stool, back bent over his station with the bridge of his nose pressed against the plastic of his equipment.

Most of his subordinates knew not to disturb him when he was in this state, and yet, this new one seemed to be a bit slow on the uptake.

A scowl overtook Verstael’s forehead as the door to his lab slid open loudly. He didn’t move however, and the scientist stayed silent for a few moments. Verstael could practically hear his knees knocking together from where he sat.

“Yes, Mr Crass?” Verstael asked, the annoyance oozing from his words. He felt he could picture them sliding out of his mouth, down the table and up the young scientist’s leg to wrap around his throat.  

He could hear the young man swallow hard. “S-Sorry to interrupt sir, but we have a problem with one of the subjects.” A clank sounded, and Verstael picked the fallen scalpel from the floor lazily.

“Oh? And shouldn’t your superior be notified of this? Why come to me?” Verstael pondered, twirling the medical instrument between his fingers.

“W-Well, sir, it’s not one of the Magitechs.” That made Verstael look up.

Most of the projects they housed in the facility were Magitechs, bar two others which are under Verstael’s personal watch. At least, when he’s not extremely busy. Which he has been for the past few weeks.

“Which Project?” Verstael asked, swiftly standing from his stool to grab his lab coat. The subordinate glanced at the clipboard in his hands to double check the number.

“RS9265 has been unresponsive for several days sir,” he said, flipping through the pages of charts and test results. “He hasn’t eaten, he doesn’t sleep, and the daemon samples have begun to reject him.”

 Verstael clenched his hands into fists as they made their way to the holding cell. “Have you tried force feeding him? Or even putting it in his water?”

“No, sir but we have given him an IV to supply nutrition. He didn’t react to it being inserted however,” the subordinate replied.

“What about the daemons?”

“They’re still in there sir, although they’ve begun to die and we’ve done most of what we can to keep them sustained but seeing as you were the only one who knew the mechanics of his arm, we couldn’t do anything for it.”

The next door opened up into a viewing platform, and multiple scientists stood in respect as Verstael walked in. The windows gave a view into a large room, bare except for the metal holding structure in the middle.

It was made of steel and glass, durable and stood alone except for the thin wires running from the top to the ceiling. It was filled with a viscous green liquid and a person, although they were barely visible through the glass.

“Give him another dose of miasma and drain the fluid by half. He’s not going to be able to eat if he’s covered,” Verstael ordered and they watched as the liquid level dropped.

The subject’s eyes fluttered open, and when he caught a glance of Verstael, his hands began to bang against the glass, weak and hardly making a noise but the intention was there. Verstael smirked and pressed a button on the console, leaning over slightly.

“Now, now Ravus is that any way to treat a friend? Why, you won’t be let out for another few months unless you stop,” Verstael sneered at the former Prince of Tenebrae.

The man continued to slam his hands against the glass as the scientists watched on, a sick smile crawling up Verstael’s lips as he witnessed Ravus’ desperate struggle to escape.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *GASP* 
> 
> DUN DUN DUNNNNNNN!!!


	20. And your enemies closer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Battle for Altissia.

By the time the third bomb was dropped, the Secretary had begun to shout down the telephone to what sounded like the commander of the Accordo army. However, twice the amount of ships that had sailed past the window now hovered in the airspace above in the space of time it took for her to finish the order.

It seemed that there would be no end to the casualties caused once this attack was finished.

The explosives shook the walls of the manor as they made impact with the ground, the city beginning to burn. The subsequent smoke turned the sky a dark grey, and screams could be heard through the window.

Solis could hear the Secretary sob from where she was bent over her desk sounding hollowed out and mortified. He clenched his hands at his sides in anger.

“Madam Secretary it’s obvious the soldiers will take some time to get here. If you’ll allow us we will gladly give assistance where we can,” Noctis said determinedly, and the woman’s head lifted from its bent position.

Solis had only seen such a look of desperation that now decorated her features once, and he’d promised himself he’d never see that again. But this was something he couldn’t fix, only something he could help lessen the consequences of, which caused the pain in his heart to increase tenfold.

“Please, save my citizens. They can evacuate to the docks on the northern coast, I’ve already contacted my Generals to ask the rest of Accordo for help,” she replied quietly. “Just, please don’t let there be any unnecessary bloodshed.”

It seemed like an impossible request by Noctis nodded anyway, leading them all to the corridor outside.

“What’s the plan then?” Gladio asked once they were outside. The group braced themselves against another harsh explosion. “Surely we can’t just evacuate the people and let the Empire roam the streets.”

“But then again, going against the Empire could cause more harm than good, we’re better off ensuring the citizens are safely evacuated,” Ignis replied.

“No, they do this often,” Solis finally piped up. When everyone’s attention locked onto him, he continued. “They send their airships first to create disorder and panic and then their soldiers arrive and usually they don’t take prisoners, they’re ordered to shoot to kill.”

A chilling silence fell over the group at that, and Solis’ mind was filled with images of a burning Tenebrae, smoke rising from once beautiful buildings. A once proud people reduced to cowering in fear as foreign soldiers paraded their streets.

“Alright then, Nyx and Prompto. You two head to the northern docks, and make sure people get on those boats. Gladio and I will take the west side and eliminate any foot soldiers there,” Noctis said, his voice taking on a commanding, almost Kingly tone. “Luna, Solis and Ignis, you guys take the east side and do the same. If you can take out any airships or troops easily, great. Otherwise steer clear.”

“Keep in contact through the phones. If we had time we could get proper comms but seeing as this is quite slapdash, call each other if you need backup. Each of you also has access to the potions via the Armiger. Ignis, you’ll provide Solis and Luna with a supply if needs be.”

“Whatever you do, don’t engage any higher ups. Foot soldiers are fine, they’re doable. But, if you see a general or Magitek amour? You turn and you run in the other direction,” Noctis continued and the group nodded. “We’re here to save people. Not cause more trouble.”

 

The city was worse outside the gates. The noise, sights, smells were all seemingly dialled to eleven and Solis had to take a few seconds to get accustomed and allow his senses to adjust.

The smoke from the explosions was turning the once bright blue sky black. Solis coughed as it made its way into his lungs as he, Luna and Ignis broke into a sprint for the east side of the city.

As they ran, they directed as many people as they could to the northern docks, most of them shell shocked and allowing their feet to take them to where they needed to be on autopilot. The amount of casualties was beginning to pile up already. They couldn’t walk five feet without encountering another body, or a wailing child sat by their mother.

It was horrible. And Solis knew it was what Tenebrae had looked like during the occupation. He continuously averted his eyes from the bodies, keeping up with the other two’s quick pace as the three of them darted through the city streets.

A loud thump caught their attention and they turned to see a group of five Magitek soldiers advancing towards them, their red eyes glowing menacingly. The three of them drew their weapons quickly and Solis took comfort in the smooth wood of his staff against his palm.  

He had encountered multiple Magitek soldiers during his journey, but these seemed different. Less predictable, as if they hadn’t been embedded with code before they were released from the lab. They were also less smooth in their movements, acting like puppets without their strings as they flopped about before charging head on at them.

Solis quickly brought his staff up to block an attack from one of the soldiers, grunting at the weight of the impact. He pushed against the soldiers force, shoving him away which gave him space to jab his staff into its chest cavity. He twisted the weapon until he saw the soldier’s eyes go dark.

Breathing heavily, he yanked out his staff and gazed around the street to see all of the magiteks destroyed. He groaned in annoyance. “You couldn’t have left any for me?” he whined, and Ignis chuckled from beside him, wiping his daggers against his pant leg.

“Well, you were too preoccupied with your friend there,” he replied suavely.

“And it gave Ignis and I a chance to work together,” Luna piped up, grinning at the Acolyte as he groaned again.

“Alright, I get it. Strength of the pack is the wolf and all that shit,” Solis grumbled dejectedly and the three of them moved on.

It was difficult manoeuvring through the city’s streets. The magitek airships constantly rained down bombs at intermittent times, and Solis flinched at every single one of them. Debris blocked their path with every corner they turned and he had to pull Ignis away from a very useful but dangerous grappling glove, the Advisor almost pouting childishly.

Although the sounds of buildings collapsing and people screaming could be heard, there were no sounds of magitek armour or soldiers on their side of the city. When Ignis had contacted Noctis, he’d said the opposite, that they couldn’t walk five feet without encountering another platoon of them. It was enough to put all three of them on edge.

They directed countless amounts of people to the northern docks, and it seemed the sight of the Oracle and Acolyte seemed to give people hope. Most of the refugees – because Solis supposed that’s what they would become after this – reached out to touch either Solis or Luna’s hands, or both of theirs if they could as they passed.

With each passing minute, the Empire destroyed more and more of Altissia. They didn’t seem to be stopping any time soon, and Solis guessed that was their point.

They’d probably release a report about it, saying how Noctis and his ‘band of insurgents’ came into Altissia and provoked the Empire. They’d go on about how Noctis supposedly proclaimed he’d take Accordo for himself if the Empire didn’t fight back, and that he was a King turned tyrant.

Solis felt on edge; they hadn’t encountered anyone but refugees, and it did seem clear that the Empire knew where every single one of them were, and he said as much to the other two.

“You just _had_ to jinx it didn’t you,” Luna grumbled as they came upon a patrol of magitek and Imperial soldiers clustered in a courtyard, all who immediately cocked their guns and weapons in preparation for the battle.

“Shall we?” Solis asked the other two.

“Well, it is going against my King’s orders,” Ignis reasoned, daggers already held in gloved hands.

“Awe come on babe, live a little,” Solis complained and they sprinted to meet their opponents.

The riflemen were taken care of quickly thanks to Ignis’ quick thinking and blade skills, the guns splashing into the water and the soldiers taken out.

The magitek armour present began to aim its missiles and Solis sprinted towards it, sliding under it and slashing the connective wires at its foot. That leg crumpled, the metal creaking as the armour took a knee.

Luna came up behind Solis, arcing her trident up to cut off the barrel of the armour’s gun and helping the Acolyte to his feet once more.

Thudding footsteps drew Solis’ attention to his right and he quickly dodged the attack from the incoming magitek soldier, ducking underneath the thing and dragging the blade of his staff across its stomach.

Black liquid spewed from the wound and the soldier fell twitching to the floor.

Tossing his staff to his other hand, Solis tripped another soldier up, sending the hulk of metal crashing to the floor then stabbing it between the plating on its back.

A sudden explosion drew his attention, and the magitek armour up in flames was a satisfying sight. Solis grinned as he made his way over to give Ignis a hand dealing with the last few soldiers left behind.

Wandering to the Advisor’s side,  Solis helpfully twirled his staff in such a way that it lobbed off the head of a magitek soldier, the metal clanking on the ground as all grew silent once again. Ignis glanced up at the Acolyte, smiling briefly before pulling his blades out of his opponents back.

“That seems to be all of them,” Luna called to them, avoiding the burning magitek armour as she made her way over. Her white outfit was turning grey with the amount of machinery oil splattered across it. It also seemed to have gotten in her hair and Solis sniggered at the black streaks mixed with blonde.

“Yeah, yeah laugh it up,” Luna said, chuckling as she attempted to brush away some of the stains to no avail.

“No, I like this new you! You look like a grease monkey,” Solis replied, covering his laughter with his hand. “Like you’ve dived into the bonnet of the Regalia.”

He burst into giggles again as Ignis shook his head in fond exasperation.

“Oh yeah? Let’s see how _you_ like it,” Luna cried joyfully, pouncing on her surrogate brother, her grease stained fingers ruffling his long blonde locks, pulling it out of its ponytail.

“Ignis! Help!” Solis cried, the grin on his face hurting his cheeks as he whirled around to dislodge Luna.

“Well, well. This _is_ a lovely sight to see,” a slimy voice said from behind them, and the group froze in fear.

Solis’ breathing hitched slightly as he looked over his shoulder to spot who spoke, wishing it was all a horrible nightmare. He could feel Luna slide off his back and assume a battle stance. Solis dug his nails into his staff once again, his hair falling into his eyes slightly as he watched Ignis brandish his javelin out of his peripheral vision.

“When I arrived in Altissia I’d expected to hear the melodious screams of dying citizens. Yet what do my ears catch but the laughter of two young and jovial adults,” Ardyn said, his gaze sliding over the three of them.

Solis realised he wasn’t wearing his hat, the thing he used to identify him with as a child. Ardyn smirked at him once he caught his gaze and tipped an invisible hat at him, a knowing look in his eyes.

“I’m so pleased I found you two safe and sound. I was worried you’d be caught up in all of this,” Ardyn continued, raising his arms to gesture at the death and destruction surrounding them.

“And why’re you here exactly?” Luna asked. “Last time I checked; Chancellors aren’t meant to engage in battle.”

“Ah, but you see my dear, mine is a very special case,” Ardyn said, casting his gaze on Luna. “You see, _I’m_ the reason the Empire are even here. I knew where your group was headed the moment I saw your truck leave the outpost. Naturally, my Lord Aldercapt wanted me here to guide his ships to your exact location. And here you are.”

Solis gritted his teeth in anger, his fingers digging harder into the wood of his staff. “Then why here? And not in Lucis? You had us perfectly vulnerable. You could’ve taken us out easily.”

“Ah, but you see my boy, that’s all in the fun of the hunt. I wanted to watch you all squirm in your desperate bid to gain allies before I ripped them from your grasp,” Ardyn replied. “And besides, Altissia has been a thorn in the Empire’s side for decades now, and what better way than to get rid of it with the King of Lucis visiting as an excuse.”

“You _sick bastard_ ,” Solis growled. “Why?! Why are you doing this?”

Ardyn didn’t bother to reply, his smirk growing across his face and yet not meeting his eyes.

“I suppose this is your own personal revenge. Isn’t it, Ardyn _Lucis Caelum_ ,” Luna spat at him, glaring at the Chancellor.

Solis could spot the sudden flicker of hurt – or maybe fear? – across the man’s face. But Ardyn quickly regained his composure, that slimy smile slipping easily back into place.

“Found out already hm? Well, I suppose it is yes. For what the gods have done to me,” Ardyn began. “I was meant to be King you know. And I thought I was doing what was best for my country by taking in all the evil I saw; you now know it as the Starscourge. I didn’t realise how much of a fool I was being until my supposed coronation. But, the crystal rejected me and accepted my brother. All because I wanted to do _good_.

“So, I decided I’d do some bad for a change. Seeing as the Astrals have put me in this state of immortality until the Chosen One frees me or kills me I suppose this is my own bit of revenge, yes.”

“But you two have set me up for failure. It was not meant to go this way. And you _ruined it_ ,” Ardyn growled, and Solis, Luna and Ignis drew closer together in fear.

His amber eyes suddenly connected to Solis’, the disdain and hatred almost tangible as his mouth pulled back into a snarl. “You weren’t meant to be here. You’re a mistake in all sense of the word, unneeded. And yet, here you are, causing trouble and ruining my plans.”

Solis flinched hard at that, tightening the grip on his staff as he glared at the man. He could feel the anger and underlying hurt bubbling in his stomach, but he didn’t move. He knew that Ardyn had the upper hand here, and the Chancellor knew that too; it was obvious in the way he smirked at them.

“So now, I suppose I can ruin you,” he finished and suddenly he was surrounding by ghostly images of weapons, ones that Solis recognised because Noctis wielded the same ones from time to time.

It happened too fast for the three of them to react appropriately.

Solis could see Ardyn moving his fingers in a specific way, sending a sword hurtling through the air. Towards Ignis.

What happened in seconds felt like minutes as Solis screamed Ignis’ name and hurled himself at the Advisor.

Pain lanced up Solis’ right side, white hot and burning as both of them landed on the floor, hard. He curled in on himself in pain, clutching his side.

He distantly hear someone screaming, high pitched and hoarse and wondered if it was Ignis.

He didn’t realise it was himself until he drifted into darkness. And the screaming stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry? Please don't kill me for that cliffy. And the shorter chapter (again). I realised I wouldn't be back at my computer until today when the plane actually took off. Oopsies. 
> 
> Also I can't write battle sequences for the life of me as much as I like to think I can. So hopefully this is acceptable. 
> 
> Enjoy wondering what happens next for two weeks.  
>  Hehe, I'm evil *maniacal laughter*


	21. Reprieve

“SOLIS!” Ignis screamed as he crashed to his knees beside the man, cradling his boyfriends head in his lap. The Acolyte whimpered and groaned; hands clutched at his side as Ignis cried above him, the tear rolling down his face to land on Solis’ cheeks. Luna stood guard over them, practically grounding her teeth in anger. Her magic rippled around them as she glared at Ardyn.

“Oh, well, that _is_ a shame,” Ardyn said from where he stood a few metres away, and Ignis, in a surge of anger threw one of his daggers at the man. It missed however, the throw going wide and the man tutted in disappointment.

“Well,” he said, “I can see I am no longer welcome here.” And with that, he flourished his hand in farewell, and disappeared.

Luna made her way, finally to Solis’ side, crashing to the ground on her knees. Solis wasn’t unconscious, his eyelids flickering as he barely held on to staying alert but failing badly, breaths coming in short gasps.

His white shirt was stained with blood, the colours stark against each other. It flowed out of his body at an alarming rate, creating a puddle beneath him, and both Ignis and Luna scrambled to apply pressure to the wound that was present, balling up bits of their clothing that they tore off without thought.

 Solis’ back arched with the pain and he _shrieked_ hoarsely, head thumping against the cobblestoned ground. It was frightening to see so much blood flow from him, slipping between the cracks in the pavement, soaking into Ignis’ trousers and the hem of Luna’s dress.

Ignis’ hand flew up to comb through Solis’ hair, apologies streaming from his mouth almost as fast as the tears and Luna began to cry, her own free hand coming up to cover her mouth.

“We need a potion,” Ignis said, keeping a firm hand on the wound over the Oracle’s, holing the makeshift bandages steady. Luna nodded shakily sniffling as she shuffled on her knees into a better position.

Ignis sat up slightly, being careful not to jostle Solis as he closed his eyes. It took a while for him to calm sufficiently to be able to reach the Armiger, to be able to stretch his magic, let alone to be able to Sense their medical supplies in among the other junk Noctis threw into the pocket of magic, space and time. His brow scrunched as he pulled on his magic, willing a potion into his hand.

It didn’t work, his palms came up empty and he desperately looked to Luna for help.

He tried again, pulling harder. But still coming up empty. “W-We should have enough. We stocked up before we left,” Ignis whispered in disbelief, suddenly scrambling for his phone.

“Ignis?” Noctis’ voice came from the other end.

“Noct, have you used any of the potions?” Ignis asked, almost sounding desperate as a trail of blood began to leak from the corner of Solis’ mouth. He’d stopped screaming, his breath shacking as he whimpered quietly.

“No, but Prompto must be. There were a lot of casualties Iggy,” Noctis replied, voice weighed down with exhaustion and grief.

“Damn,” Ignis hissed, slamming his fist against the ground, his other keeping a tight grip on his phone.

“Why? Has something happened?” Noctis asked worriedly, and Ignis could hear the sounds of battle through the speaker.

“Solis is injured, Ardyn attack us out of the blue,” Ignis explained quickly. “If you can get Prompto to bring some potions to us we can heal Solis and get him to a safe spot- well, saf _er_ spot.”

Ignis flinched as an explosion went off some streets down, Solis giving off another loud whimper as the impact jostled him slightly. Noctis, worrying almost palpable through the phone, signed off then, quickly and saying he’d send Prompto their way, the dial tone ringing in Ignis’ ears.

“What about your magic?” Ignis suddenly asked, and Luna’s head darted up from its bent position. “Surely it can do something?”

She shook her head uncertainly. “I’ve never done it without Solis, it’s aided by his magic supplementing mine. So I’m not sure whether it’ll help. Hell, it might even do more harm than good,” she explained.

“But we have to try! It could take more than half an hour for Prompto to get here,” Ignis said desperately, glancing behind him to check whether they were clear of enemies. Luna looked down at Solis, watched as a bead of sweat slid down his forehead and into the collar of his shirt, as his chest heaved to get enough oxygen to his lungs.

“Alright,” Luna said, getting closer to Solis’ side and lifting up the cloth on his side. The wound looked _bad_ , the weapon going deep enough that it still wept with blood. It stretched from Solis’ ribs down to his belly button.

And suddenly, Luna began to sing. But it was wrong somehow, off key and scratching on Ignis’ ears. Beneath them, Solis’ back arched off the floor again, his muscles becoming tense as he _wailed_ long and harsh and loud, as if the tune was being forced from his throat violently. Luna stopped immediately, her eyes welling with tears again as she bent her head over Solis, apologising over and over again as he gradually relaxed his muscles. He seemed worse now, barely making a sound and his face almost grey in colour.

Ignis glanced at the wound.. The edges of the it, which had been bright pink and swollen, now looked black and diseased, spines of black arching from the main impact to stretch up to his collar bone, and when Ignis tried to place his fingers on the wound, digits inches away, Solis yelled in agony, face screwing up and hands balling into fists.  

Ignis’ own tears began to flow hard and fast then again, the realisation that Solis might not make it through this hitting him like a behemoth as he placed his forehead against Solis’ own, the Acolyte’s sweat mixing into Ignis’ already ruined hair as he sobbed hard. He could hear Luna next to him, almost crying her heart out.

From his position the Advisor didn’t notice four figures running for them.

And at that moment, he didn’t seem to care.

It was dark and warm where he lay. Everything sounded like it was…underwater. Muffled, and unclear.

He tried to move his fingers, toes, anything on his body to no avail. It was like he was stuck in honey, something gripping to every bit of him, keeping him firmly in place.

Where was he?

Better yet, _who_ was he?

He couldn’t remember, and that scared him. He was meant to have an identity, right? Humans usually did so why couldn’t he remember his?

He tried opening his mouth this time but failed. He couldn’t make a sound, couldn’t move, couldn’t control what was happening to him. His jaws were locked tight, his eyelids as heavy as stones.  

“—have to get the wound healed first—”

They say the hearing is the last sense to go. Was he dying then?

 “—unstable, can’t do much to it until she gets—”

“—need to get it out—”

Get what out? Were they talking about him?

“—need to make sure Solis lives first—”

Solis. There was something familiar about that name. He thought about it for a bit, mulling it over in his mind.

Solis. So-lis.

That’s his name!

A sudden pain sent his back arching upwards, and Solis finally let out a sound. A gasp of pain.

It felt like fire was lancing through his side, burning everything in its path. He’d never felt such agony and a strangled cry worked its way out of his mouth, wrenching his jaw open. He tried to wriggle his arms and legs in pain. No dice.

“—need to stop its spreading _now_ —”

“—do anything! We don’t have enough potions—”

That was Ignis. _Ignis!_ He was okay! And, if he strained his ears, he could just make out the other’s voices too.

The pain suddenly died and felt his back flop against something soft this time. No honey, something that felt like a mattress. The darkness was gone, and he could feel gentle sunlight through his eyelids.

He was too tired to pull them open however and let himself slip into the glorious embrace of sleep.

                             _____________________

When Solis finally woke up, it was to someone gently snoring by his bedside. That’s what disturbed him from his sleep, he hypothesised.

His eyes opened heavily and took in the ornate décor of the room around him. He didn’t recognise it. Gold accents blended into the blue palate in the room, making it seem cold and military almost.

The curtains were drawn so that a sliver of sunlight glanced over Solis’ face, causing his eyes to squint slightly. He could see smoke trailing into the sky from where he lay, thick and black, and he tried to lift his head to get a better look. It thumped back down onto the pillow after a few seconds, his muscles screaming at him.

He scrunched his hands into fists as the movement of his head sent tiny shocks of pain through his whole being and he noticed that his stomach felt padded in some way. He didn’t try to lift his head again, knowing that it wouldn’t get him anywhere, but he did gently hit his hands against the bedsheets in an attempt to wake whoever was snoring.

“Solis?” Ignis’ voice was groggy from sleep and Solis licked his lips.

“H-Hey,” he replied, his voice croaky from disuse. “You woke me up,” Solis continued, chuckling hoarsely. It didn’t sound like him at all.

Ignis stood from the chair and in two strides sat on the edge of the bed. He gently clutched at Solis’ hand, smoothing calming circles into the skin with his thumb. “How’re you feeling?” he asked quietly.

“Sore,” Solis replied, shifting in the bed. “Feels like someone’s placed a hot poker against my side.”

“That will be the case for a few days,” Ignis admitted, casting a shameful glance to the ground. “Solis, I wanted to say I’m sorry.”

The Acolyte glanced at Ignis, confused. “What for? And if you say for putting me in trouble I will force myself to sit up from this bed and slap you a new one,” he said, raising his free hand threateningly.

“But I _am_ sorry, I caused this because I wasn’t paying enough attention,” Ignis reasoned.

“It’s not your fault, I chose to do it _I_ chose to jump in front of the flying pointy thing. So the fault is mine. Ignis, please don’t blame yourself,” Solis pleaded, tightening his grip on Ignis’ hand.

Reluctantly, he nodded, placing his other hand over Solis’. “I’m glad you’re awake.”

“How long was I out?” Solis asked.

“Four days. We healed the wound on your side easily enough but, we needed help with…something else.”

At that, Solis glanced up in confusion, furrowing his brow. “Ignis? What happened?”

“Luna tried to heal you, a few minutes after Ardyn attacked. What we didn’t know at the time was that neither of you can heal yourselves. It has an opposite effect on the both of you if one tries without the other,” Ignis explained, pulling back the covers, clothing and Solis’ bandage, revealing some of the damage.

The wound was healed, the skin puckered and scarred over. But, what was disconcerting was the black colouring that surrounded the wound itself. It didn’t seem to be spreading and yet it stretched like a spiders web for a few millimetres before stopping just at Solis’ bellybutton.

“We had to charm the wound to stop the spread. However, it won’t heal. The skin and surrounding nerves were badly damaged, and it will hurt for the first few weeks,” Ignis continued as Solis’ fingers glanced over the wound.

He breathed in deeply and let the bandage, fabric and duvet drop again. “What about the others?”

“Prompto had a slight concussion but other than that, they’re fine. They’d like to see you,” Ignis said.

“Yeah?” Solis asked, heaving himself into a sitting position with a lot of difficulty. Ignis plumped the pillows underneath him. “Well they can wait a few more seconds.”

He reached up to Ignis’ neck and tugged him down for a kiss. It seemed different this time, and Solis felt slightly desperate, running his tongue over Ignis’ bottom lip, asking for access. He breathed in his boyfriends’ scent, fingers gripping onto him tightly.

They broke away quickly at the sound of the door opening. Both Solis and Ignis tilted their heads to get a look at who had arrived, and Luna came running in.

Clumsily and quickly sitting on the bed, she gathered Solis into her arms, holding on tightly as he held her close. He could hear Luna sniffle, her voice thick with tears. “Don’t you _ever_ do that again Solis Lilium. You hear me?”

“Loud and clear,” he replied, watching Noctis, Gladio and Prompto enter the room as well.

“I was so _scared_ ,” she went on, her fingers coming up to clutch onto the pyjama shirt he wore, which he didn’t notice until the fabric was between her fingers. “You wouldn’t wake up and you sounded so hurt when I tried to heal you. I’m so _sorry_ Solis.”

Solis shushed her gently, bringing his hand up to comb through her hair. He could feel his side twinge but didn’t flinch, choosing to ignore it for the time being. The two of them stayed clutching each other for a few minutes until Solis became uncomfortable.

Ignis propped his pillows some more so that he could lie in bed and yet still be able to see everyone comfortably and contribute to the conversation.

“What happened after…well.” He glanced around at the others, gauging their expressions.

“We managed to get to you guys to give you a potion,” Noctis began. “Ardyn had left by the time we got there, and we haven’t seen him since the Empire attacked. We brought you back here to be healed, and to regroup.”

“What about the civilians?” Solis asked, recalling the sights and sounds he’d experienced and shuddering at the images that came with them.

“We got most of them out before the Empire could deal any major damage,” Prompto answered this time, and Solis noticed the bandage on his forehead, his brow furrowing.

“But there were still casualties,” he continued, and a pang was sent through Solis’ heart.

How many people did they see that first day, and how many survived the attack? It made the anger he felt towards the Empire rise knowing that they’d be willing to sacrifice innocents to get what they wanted.

“So…what now?” he asked, fiddling with a loose thread in the duvet cover.

“We need to regroup with the others, make a plan of attack and strike the Empire with everything we have,” Noctis said passionately.

“That’ll be kinda hard to do, considering we have barely thirty people on our side, and facing up against an entire army and a Raisin Emperor and a revengeful Great-something-Uncle, I don’t like those odds,” Solis admitted.

“I might be able to help with that,” a female voice said from the door.

Secretary Claustra made her way into the room, dressed in a simple yet formal pant suit. Her right hand was bandaged but overall she seemed unharmed.

“I’m pleased to see you’re awake, Acolyte. We’d begun to fear you’d never wake up,” she said, smiling kindly at the group.

“Thank you for letting us stay here, Secretary,” Ignis said, standing to bow. The Secretary stopped him with a raised hand.

“No need to thank me, it should be I showing gratitude for all you have done for my people.” She regarded the group surrounding Solis’ bed, leaving the room quiet.

“I’ve decided to aid you in your quest to defeat the Empire. Accordo has spent too long under Aldercapt’s thumb, and it is high time that was changed,” she told them, and Solis and the others beamed in delight.

“I won’t be able to offer much in medical aid but, the 3rd squadron is yours to command,” she told Noctis, bowing to him. “It is twenty strong, well trained and some of my best soldiers. I hope they will make Accordo and I proud.”

She left not soon after telling them this, shaking hands with each of them and bidding them farewell.

“How do you like those odds now?” Noctis asked, smirking at his brother.

“Shut up, prick,” Solis threw back with a laugh.

 

It took a week for Solis to get back on his feet once again. His wound was healed nicely, and yet the curse that was surrounding it stung every time he tried to do anything more that jog.

He huffed in annoyance as he sat down heavily on a bench, gazing at the park surrounding them. “Guess this is as good as it’s gonna get,” he said miserably as he watched Ignis take a seat beside him.

“I’m sure we can train while we’re planning the attack,” he replied, catching his breath as they took in their surroundings.

Most of the clean-up process was almost finished; however they could still see signs of the attack in the piles of debris that lay in dispersed spots and the small splatters of blood on the ground and building walls.

“I can’t believe we’re finally gonna do it,” Solis said, shaking his head. “We’re going to fight the Empire, head on, in their own territory. If we get rid of them, we’d only have Ardyn left.”

“How do we be rid of him?” Ignis asked.

“I’m not sure. And Gentiana hasn’t told me anything either,” he replied, and Ignis nodded in understanding.

Solis had finally told Ignis how he knew about what they needed to do, although the Acolyte didn’t think it was such a big thing. Gentiana visited Luna as well from time to time so it didn’t mean he was crazy.

“Maybe she’ll appear the closer we get to our goal,” Ignis observed.

“Knowing her, she’ll arrive at the worst moment possible. Probably when I’m about to kiss you. Or kill Ardyn. Or maybe when I’m in the shower, or on the toilet,” Solis said, and Ignis snorted in laughter beside him.

“Whatever happens, you need to promise me you won’t do anything self-sacrificing or dangerous,” Ignis said, gripping onto Solis’ hand and giving him a concerned stare.

“Alright! Jeeze it’s like you guys expect me to jump in front of every single bullet coming your way,” Solis said after a few seconds of staring into Ignis’ eyes.

“Promise me,” Ignis said quietly, leaning in to place his forehead against Solis’.

He could feel the words being dragged up his throat to his mouth, hesitancy coating his facial expression because he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it. His eyes met Ignis’ and he could see the love within them, burning into his soul.

He could almost imagine himself crossing his fingers as he dragged the words the rest of the way to float in between them. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew. Bit of a doozy. 
> 
> We're getting very close to the end guys!!! *insert hysterical sobbing here*   
> But, it's not all for naught, this is a series after all and although there probably won't be a sequel I will be posting ficlets and the like. 
> 
> I also have a Star Wars thing on the go so stick around for that (If you like long stories it's on 22k words and only 5 chapters in) (it's also a story about Obi-Wan, Rex, Ashoka and Anakin being in a band so look forward to that) 
> 
> Anyway, next time I see you guys will be the day before St Patrick's day so I will the most Irish I will ever be the whole year. I'll just be in a corner eating Tayto crisps while everyone else gets drunk ha.


	22. This is the end.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well. Almost the end.

 “Alright does everyone know the plan?” came Cor’s voice from the phones speaker where it sat in the middle of the table. Hooded heads nodded in confirmation, and Noctis replied to Cor himself.

The restaurant they sat in wasn’t busy, there was about three customers, excluding themselves, and two waitresses on the clock. It was one of the main reasons why they chose this as their stake out position, and because Luna, Solis and Prompto wanted a burger while they waited.

Even though it wasn’t busy, they still chose a corner booth, hoods pulled up to hide their faces and only ordered a glass of water each. They were in the Empire’s home ground now, there would be no one to help if they got caught.

A ball of anxiety sat in Solis’ stomach, his eyes flitting over the patrons and workers intermittently to scan for any danger. He could feel Ignis’ comforting hand in his, grounding him and keeping him from bolting from the table.

“Make your way to the building at eighteen hundred hours, we should have the signal set up by then. Don’t be seen, and don’t be noticed. Anything happens, turn tail and run. Understand?” Again, he got the same answer and hung up promptly afterwards.

“I hate this,” Solis murmured, glancing at the clock on the wall. They had about half an hour to kill before they had to move, and yet the minutes felt like hours.

“I know,” Ignis said quietly, giving Solis’ hand a sympathetic squeeze. “But we’ll be alright. Cor has this under control, it’s up to us to act it out.”

It didn’t do much to calm him knowing that, but he took a deep breath in to settle.

He pulled an old receipt from his coat and folded it carefully. Luna, who was across from him, noticed what he was up to and sat up, placing her fingers into L shapes on the table.

The others watched as they initiated a childish game of finger football, keeping things quiet as they dismissed the waitresses each time they came over.

“Time to move,” Ignis murmured, pushing himself out of the booth and securing his hood over his head. The other’s followed, Noctis dropping some money next to the till as they left. The remaining customers and waitresses watched them go.

The sun was setting, a golden glow falling over the buildings of the city. It was peaceful, most of the citizens having gone home for the day. That was a good thing; they didn’t want any casualties apart from the ones they dealt and received.

It took them ten minutes to get in position, crouching down to give them the best view they could.

The tower itself was huge, but they had an idea of where they needed to go, and they had Crowe on the line if they got separated or stuck.

“Ready?” Luna whispered to Solis and he nodded.

“I’ve been ready to kick the Empire’s butt for ages,” he replied, smirking at her in glee. His staff materialised in his hands as the others pulled out their own weapons, readying themselves.

Soldiers wandered around the front courtyard, some patrolling the perimeter, others crossing to the front gate to go home for the night. Solis thought he would’ve felt guilty for injuring, or even killing these men, but then he would cast his mind to what some of them might’ve done for their country. And all doubt was swept under a current of anger.

An almighty boom came from the front gate, and Solis cast his gaze to see the front entrance in flames, and already soldiers stretched out on their backs. Gunshots set off then, the dust from the explosion giving Cor and his troops some cover as they made their way in.

The guards close to the group hurried over to help, giving them the perfect opportunity to jump over the barrier and cross into the main courtyard.

They crept behind the massive guns that stood on standby, slipping in through the front door under the cover of shadows.

Solis felt his hood be yanked as Luna pulled him behind a crater, keeping him there as the group watched a patrol of soldiers jogged past, guns in hand.

“We need to be careful now. Anyone spots us means our cover is blown,” Ignis said, pulling out a map. “Crowe said the crystal is being held here,” his finger pointed to one of the top floors, “we need to make our way up there without being seen. Understood?”

All heads in the group nodded and Ignis got them moving, jogging across the hallway to a door at the side.

They needed to find the lift. It would then take them to the top floors, where the higher ups were held and hopefully, where Aldercapt (and Ardyn) would be. If Zegnautus keep was in line with Imperial legislation, their lift would be in the middle, branching out the other rooms from it.

Somehow, they managed to sneak past multiple officers and magitek soldiers, and Solis wondered if their brains were set to autopilot or if they were that unobservant. They strolled right past them, most likely on the way to help with the attack occurring at the front entrance of the keep.

Good thing they were unobservant, or Solis would’ve never been able to nab a key card.

The lift was right where they expected, and they began their swift ascent to the top floors.

“That felt too easy,” Solis said, shifting on his feet and glancing around the area for a hidden camera, or for a soldier to jump at them. “Shouldn’t there be a tighter security system?”

“It might be that all their troops and efforts are being directed elsewhere,” Ignis replied cryptically, and Solis rolled his eyes fondly.

“Either that, or they know we’re coming,” Prompto piped up, and the lift came to a final stop.

The doors opened to a room full of magitek soldiers, guns primed towards them, but eyes empty and dark; they hadn’t been switched on. And behind them, standing with an air of a god was Aldercapt and—

“Ravus!” Luna cried from beside Solis, gaze locked on the figure standing beside the Emperor.

He looked so different from the last time they saw him, although it had been seven years since he’d been taken away from them. He looked gaunt, and exhausted. His shoulders curved forwards as if bearing a great weight and his grey eyes were dull. Dead.

The most horrific thing, however, was the mechanical arm strapped to his shoulder. It oozed evil, and Solis could hear the whisperings of daemons from where he stood. Ravus didn’t even flinch at Luna’s call, instead staying perfectly still.

“Ah! At last. I was beginning to think you’d gotten lost,” Aldercapt said, watching as the group pulled out their weapons. He frowned at them, snapping his fingers to prime the soldiers. “I bet you weren’t expecting these eh? My very own, personal guard primed to the deadliest setting these things have. And I’m sure you know my Toy.”

Solis’ shoulders tensed as the Slime ball stood, placing a hand on Ravus’ back in a slightly territorial way. “He’s such a good little thing, isn’t he? Trained to obey me for years, and nothing can break the programming,” he said, trailing his index finger down the daemon arm.

“Aldercapt! Give me back my crystal! And my country,” Noctis shouted, boldly stepping forward.

“Oh, you’re still here are you? I thought I’d ordered for your execution, no?” The Emperor scrutinised all of them, before sighing in exasperation. “Very well then, troops!” At that, the soldiers stood ramrod straight. “Complete order Gamma 9; kill King Noctis.”

The magiteks turned towards them menacingly and a shiver ran up Solis’ spine. “Alright you guys take the soldiers we’ll try to get through to Ravus?” he asked the others, glancing fervently around them for a way through.

“Be careful, we’ll come assist when these things are dealt with,” Noctis replied, bringing out a pair of daggers from the Armiger. “And don’t engage with the Emperor until we’re done with both.”

They charged quickly, Solis and Luna darting through magiteks and getting in hits where they could. The room was big enough so that when the soldiers engaged with the Entourage, there was still about half the room left for them to fight in.

“Do I really have to do this?” Aldercapt said in an exasperated tone, almost groaning. “Alright, Toy,” Ravus turned towards him, “initiate attack sequence BETA 5.”

Ravus suddenly pulled a sword from behind his back, one that both Solis and Luna recognised. It was one Queen Sylva had given Ravus on his name day, the sword he would’ve used if he had gone and fought for Tenebrae. It was his King sword.

He advanced on the two of them menacingly, and Solis flinched at the evil sounds coming from the arm. “Alright, we need to get through to him, and possibly get rid of that arm,” Solis whispered to Luna. “You take the right side; I’ll take the left. Hit fast and strong. We need him to remember so keep talking.”

Luna nodded and the two of them slowly walked to either side of Ravus, lifting their weapons in preparation.

“We know you’re in there Ravus. You don’t need _him_ to keep control,” Solis called to him, watching Luna as she inched forward.

She dashed in, gave a quick repartee with her trident before dodging a blow from Ravus. “You can come home, brother. Come back to us, and rebuild Tenebrae,” she said as Solis traded blows with his blade, giving his daemon arm a good few scratches.

“We need you, Ravus. If you’re there, show us,” Solis called, and Luna attacked again.

_“The prince is under **my** control, none of your petty pleas will get through the years of corruption that is in his body,” _said Ravus, except it wasn’t Ravus. It didn’t sound at all like him; it was raspy and deep and sent a cold feeling into Solis’ stomach.

“Ravus, don’t listen to him,” Solis called, inching closer to him. “You can break through his control; you can come back to us. Please, Ravus.”

“ ** _NO!_** ” Ravus’ arms lashed out, sending out a blast of otherworldly power. It hit Solis’ right in the chest and sent him flying.

He landed, rolled, and came to a stop just at the opposite wall.

Everything _hurt_. It echoed through his whole body, and a ringing began in his ears.

He could see Luna across the way, pulling herself to her feet. The others had leapt at Ravus when the blast had dissipated, and now traded blows and attempted to do damage as the former Prince of Tenebrae became a whirlwind of chaos.

Ravus roared, and swung his sword and Solis watched almost in slow motion as one by one, his friends, his _brothers_ were beaten back ruthlessly.

“No,” he croaked, pushing himself onto his hands and knees with great effort.

Ravus swung at Prompto as the sharpshooter dodged, leaping back to give cover fire.

“Stop it,” Solis cried a little louder, now on his feet leaning most of his weight on the wall beside him.

Noctis warped to Ravus’ side, dealing a blow to his back before Ravus lashed out with his leg, winding Noctis in the process.

“Please, stop,” he was gaining some attention now, but Ravus still seemed intent on killing them.

“Give him _back_!” He sprinted to Ravus in a burst of adrenaline, and with a slash of his staff and massive strength boost, the daemon arm fell to the floor with an echoing clatter.

Ravus _screamed_ as a black oozing mass ejected itself from the stump of his shoulder, sliding down his robes to collect on the floor. He fell to his knees in pain and Luna knelt to support him. He was unconscious within a few seconds.

There was silence as Solis breathed heavily, gazing down at his brother. He hadn’t seen Ravus in years. And now they he got a proper look at him, he saw the gaunt cheekbones in full view, the great bags under his eyes, his shallow breath which proved he was still alive.

“Help me,” Solis muttered to Luna, heaving Ravus into his arms and both moved him to the edge of the hall, placing him down gently, lovingly.

The Emperor tutted from where he sat on his thrown, a disappointed look crossing his features. “Well, he didn’t last for very long did he?” he asked rhetorically. “And after all that work put into him.”

He sighed, standing up slowly and pulling his own heavy cloak off, placing it gently on his throne as if it were a precious thing. “No matter. I guess I’ll have to do my own dirty work,” he said, exasperatedly and the group watched in abject horror as the black puddle moved towards the Emperor, crawling up his legs and disappearing into the sleeves of his clothing.

He took in a deep breath of air before opening his eyes, the irises completely gone within the pool of black that had replaced them.

“What the fuck?” Prompto exclaimed quietly from behind Solis.

“It seems he has absorbed the daemon that had been inside Ravus,” Ignis stated, pulling out his daggers. “We must be careful; it allows him to have heightened senses and reflexes.”

“Oh like he wasn’t difficult to kill beforehand?” Solis asked sarcastically, gripping onto his staff tightly.

Ignis was correct in the fact that the Emperor was fast. They could hardly keep up with him as he ran circles around them – literally!

They got very few hits in, and when they did it seemed to make no difference, apart from make him flinch. He didn’t say a word, just growled at intermittent points of the fight, almost scaring Prompto out of his wits when he snarled right in his face.

“We can’t keep this up forever. Any ideas?” Noctis cried as he dodged another pass from the Emperor.

Solis was starting to become desperate until Luna locked eyes with him. An idea sparked, one that made his side throb slightly where the blackness remained. “We have one,” Solis called, making his way to Luna’s side. “Try to get him to stay in one spot!”

The others nodded as Luna and Solis held hands, squeezing in support as they faced their target. The guys had managed to corner the Emperor somehow, and when he tried to get through one of their guard, another took his spot, a great wall of anger and resentment surrounding him.

Solis closed his eyes, and everything went quiet as he blocked it out, focused on the black spot he could sense, knowing it was the Emperor.

It writhed and wriggled like it had on the floor, and Solis quickly checked that Ravus hadn’t moved from where he landed on the floor by way of flicking his focus to him quickly. He was fine.

He could sense Luna taking a deep breath, and the song they began to sing felt desperate, a last chance at taking out a great foe.

Although Solis had never understood what the songs meant, he usually got the gist of it. If it sounded sad, he guessed it was about loss. If it was bright and came out of him easily, he guessed it was something happy.

He felt this one was a bit different, more complex than the others. He could picture it being sung on a battlefield, surrounded by bodies and a fog that seemed to never let go of the land. But as it progressed, he could sense the dawn coming, even if it felt like it was being forcefully pulled from him.

He could sense the blackness weakening, and if he strained his ears, could hear the Emperor shrieking desperately, as if he were trying to claw against the dark, will it back into place.

It took what felt like hours but was probably minutes to take it out of him, watch it dissipate into a dark cloud and disappearing into the atmosphere.

 The Emperor himself collapsed, unconscious and Noctis stormed forward, intent to cut his head off or maim him. Gladio held him back with an arm, giving him a _Look._

“Is he dead?” Prompto asked hesitantly, and Gladio stepped forward to touch the man with his toe.

“As dead as one man can get, I’d wager,” said a voice behind them. One that was incredibly familiar and sent a shiver up Solis’ spine as they all whipped their heads ‘round.

He was there. Solis could reach out a finger and touch him. He hadn’t changed in the few months he and Luna had been missing. His auburn hair still reached his shoulders. That stupid hat still perched on his head.

His robes touched the floor and dragged behind him as he wandered over to them all. His boots echoed in the deathly silent chamber as he placed his foot against the back of the Emperor as if he were a lowly peasant instead of a ruler of the most powerful force.

“What a pitiful waste,” he tutted, smirking at them.

Gladio pushed Noctis behind him swiftly, and Ignis protectively came up beside Solis, grabbing hold of his hand tightly. The group held their breath as Ardyn rolled the Emperor onto his back, pulled a face and kicked him away again.

Solis glanced to Ravus, still lying at the edge of the chamber. He hadn’t moved a single inch, and his eyes still remained closed.

“I suppose when you have a great plan, you must do it yourself,” Ardyn sneered. “You know, I spent _years_ planning this. I worked my way up the ladder of this gods forsaken Empire. And who comes along to ruin in but a pathetic king and his ragtag group.”

He was angry now, Solis could see it in the erratic clenching of his fists, his tense shoulders. “But do you _think_ you’d be able to defeat me as easily as you have these two?” He began to move around them.

“No. I have something far more powerful. And something far more precious to you,” he said, the cockiness dripping and oozing from his vocal chords.

He reached into his pocket, and it seemed to take hours for it to come out again.

Pale fingers held onto something small, something they couldn’t see until Ardyn held it up to the light.

A black band, a white gem sparkling in the artificial light and Solis felt every single person in their group gasp, eyes trained on the Ring of Lucii, held in the slimy fingers of the one person they never wanted it to be in.  

“That is not yours to hold, you pilfering snake,” Noctis snarled, and Solis could feel the anger rolling off of his brother. He glared at the man who held the power of Kings as if it were a menial thing, turning it over and over in his hand. He smirked smugly, watching the diamond glint in the florescent lighting.

Ardyn glanced to them, flicking the ring up into the air and affectively riling Noctis up more. That was his father’s heirloom, and his right. Ardyn smirked, and Solis realised he knew what he was doing. He knew what that ring was worth because he was destined to have it himself. Solis could see Noctis almost wild with rage.

“I was meant to have this ring,” he began casually. “I was meant to have your throne. To be the King of Lucis. I wonder what would’ve changed if I had started the line of Kings. Would you be alive?” he asked, pointing his finger at Noctis and taking a few steps forward.

He turned his judging gaze to Solis. “I doubt you’d even be here,” he commented, amber gaze locked on Solis’. “I wonder if we’d be in this position at all.”

He took two more steps forward, which is all they needed to pull out their weapons once again. “Ah, but what’s the point dwelling on ‘what ifs’ hm? It’s what’s in front of us is what’s important isn’t it? And I believe it’s high time that the line of Kings… come to an end.”

Ardyn suddenly lunged at them, going so fast Solis barely had a second to move. He jumped away quickly and watched as the others did the same, feeling the wind whip past his legs. Ardyn stopped on the other side of them, glancing over his shoulder with a smirk as he summoned a halo of weapons around him, much like Noctis’ own armiger except they were pink in colour, as if they’d been tainted.

“Let me handle him,” Noctis growled, stepping forward and activating his own armiger.

“We’ll cover you Noct,” Gladio muttered to him placing his hand on Noctis’ shoulder in support.

“We’ll be by your side, Noct,” Prompto said, stepping up beside his best friend.

“I suppose if this is the last hurrah,” Ignis added, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

“You’ll have our aid as well,” Luna told him, and Solis nodded to him, a thousand words portrayed in one look as his brother inclined his head in return.

What came next was a blur of movement and light. Solis could barely keep up. Noctis and Ardyn seemingly went head to head, weapons clashing against each other in clang of sound. Solis tried to get in a few jabs where he could, but largely stayed out of the combatants way. He could hear the _rat-tat-tat_ of gunfire behind him, knowing Prompto was there helping the King. He could sense Luna beside him, the two of them playing off each other to gain more reach with their weapons.

However, any damage they did was instantly repaired by Ardyn’s healing capabilities, and only paid to make the man angrier, his eyes turning black as time went on. Solis could feel his skin crawling whenever he caught a glimpse of those yellow eyes.

 And yet somehow, between all the fighting, he eyes caught on something falling out of Ardyn’s pocket, clinking against the tiles and rolling to a stop a few centimetres from his boot. He didn’t bother about it then, glancing a blow off the man’s side as he passed, grinning in glee when it landed.

A pained hiss erupted from Ardyn and – quite childishly – Solis blew a raspberry at him. Ardyn growled at him his eyes flashing gold, but Noctis gained his attention once again by charging him, weapons flying at his head with great speed. 

 Solis’ gaze flickered to where the unmistakeable glint of the Ring of the Lucii winked at him. It hadn’t moved from where it landed by the leather of his shoe, the colour matching the band of the ring.

Something tugged on his gut, making him feel almost nauseated. It reminded him of the first time he and Luna summoned a god to them, on their Ascension Day. Although this time, it felt like something was compelling him to pick it up. To hold it between his fingers, to feel the smooth steel on his skin.

All sound was suddenly blocked out, he suddenly realised as all his attention was diverted to the little piece of jewellery sitting innocently on the floor. Solis didn’t hear the others calling his name as he picked it up, held lightly between his forefinger and thumb. He couldn’t hear their concern as they shouted to him, didn’t see Ignis’ desperate gaze land on where his fingers were heading.

It was such a small thing, and yet it had caused such pain and turmoil. So much death at its hands, and yet it couldn’t seem to care; it was an inanimate object.

And yet something from it whispered in Solis’ ear. Something told him to put it on, to slip it over his finger and see what happened when a bastard wore the legacy of kings.

He put it on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm stuck in my house for two weeks because of c***** v****. This literally sucks. But, it gives me a chance to write a lot. That Star Wars thing I mentioned last chapter? It's up to 26k now. And only has 6 chapters. 
> 
> Anyway, sorry? about that cliffhanger? The next chapter will be the last unfortunately. I've loved writing this story so much. I'll be sad to let it go. However, new adventures await! 
> 
> I hope you're all staying happy and healthy! Take care of each other, wash your hands (I've taken to singing filter by Jimin while washing my hands, which is a pretty good song you should go listen), and hopefully this will all be resolved soon.   
> Lots of love guys! <3


	23. Finale

Pain erupted within him. His body felt as if it were on fire, like it was burning from the inside out. And yet, it numbed after a few seconds, until it was a dull throb under his skin. He could feel multiple presences around him, ones with great power, and when he opened his eyes, his gaze was met with the Kings of old; translucent and floating above the floor. Or the invisible one.

_“You are not the one destined to wear the ring,”_ they said, their voices melding into one. It echoed in Solis’ chest, reverberating through his ribs as they landed their judging gaze on his very soul. _“You are certainly not someone we were expecting.”_

“Yeah, I seem to be getting that a lot these days,” Solis replied, feeling lethargic, and as if his brain was made of honey and he was dragging his feet through it.

_“Why are you here?”_ they asked, and Solis’ could sense an underlying anger within those words and shuddered at the feel of it put against him.

“I-I don’t know,” he said, furrowing his brow in confusion. “Something pulled me to the ring, told me to- to put it on,” he told them, looking up from where his eyes had landed on his shoes.

_“An anomaly,”_ one of them suddenly said.

“I’m sorry?” Solis asked in confusion.

_“You. You’re an anomaly, you’re not meant to_ be _here,”_ they told him, and Solis almost laughed. That had been said to him a lot these days.

“Well, yeah, I guess I’m not meant to be in here, I can go,” Solis said, pointing behind him. He felt as if he was being too informal, but he couldn’t do anything about it now.

_“No. We mean in this timeline. You’re not meant to be here. Things were meant to go as they usually do. But, someone put you here. You have a purpose, to fix what has happened,”_ they said, and Solis frowned in confusion.

“Wait, I’m not meant to be alive?”

_“No. Someone put you here,”_ they replied.

**“I did. And with good reason,”** said a new voice, taking Solis by surprise.

He turned and caught sight of Gentiana. Or as the Old Kings and Solis knew her—

“Shiva,” Solis said breathlessly, staring at the woman in absolute astonishment as she made her way to him, laying a hand on his shoulder in comfort. Gone was Gentiana, and in her place was an ethereal being, almost glowing with power. The Goddess smiled kindly at Solis before turning her piercing gaze to the Kings of old.

**“I put him here to fix what** ** _you_** **destroyed, Your Majesties,”** she said, and a shiver ran up Solis’ spine at the coldness of her tone. **“You don’t seem to care for this Star as you used to.”**

_“It has become corrupt, and evil,”_ the Kings replied, and again Solis could feel the anger under their words. _“We must destroy it to make a new one.”_

**“But for how long have you done this? And how many times has it ended the same; with a broken planet and only you remaining to pick up the pieces once again. How many times is this story going to be retold? How many times will the Damned return before you are satisfied?”** Shiva cried, and Solis could see crystallised tears somehow roll down her cheeks.

“This has happened before?” he asked, uncertain of what he was hearing.

**“It was an idea of the Astrals, we agreed to repeat history one more time, to see if it would end differently,”** Shiva explained. **“But, it failed, the King died, and the Star was still broken. And against our command, the Kings of Old repeated history once again.”**

“And that’s what they planned to do this time?” Solis asked, and Shiva nodded in sadness. Solis furrowed his eyebrows in thought. “But, they said I wasn’t meant to be here. That I had a purpose to fix this? To fix the timeline and save the Star.”

Before Shiva could reply, the Old Kings’ presences flared in anger. _“You will do no such thing!”_ they shouted, and Solis flinched in fright. _“We have worked too hard to give up now. We must continue the loop if we are going to save the Star. You should be sent to the depths of Hell for thinking such thoughts!”_ they cried, and the pressure built suddenly, almost popping Solis’ ears.

He bent down, covering his head with his arms for protection. His ears rung as he looked up, feeling no pain. Shiva stood before him; arms spread wide in front of him. The Kings seemed to glaring at her, all their anger aimed at her presence.

_“You dare defy us Shiva?”_ they asked, deadly quiet as Solis stood again.

**“Yes, I do Your Majesties; for the good of the Star, for the hope it has in this boy,”** Shiva said. **“For there is hope, even if you cannot see it.”**

“I will fix it,” Solis said quietly gazing at the Kings and Shiva, determination shining in his eyes. “I’ll do whatever I have to, to save the ones I love, to save the Star and end this loop you have created.”

Shiva smiled in pride, turning her own determined gaze to the Kings, and they seemed taken aback by the two of them. Solis took a deep breath in preparation, stepping forward so the Goddess was at his shoulder once again.

He’d never tried what he was about to do. His teachers, his mother, even Luna said it would be too dangerous to attempt it. But, gathering all his courage he drew on his Acolyte power and _Spoke._

_“I implore the Kings of Old, the Kings of Lucius to lend me their strength, their wisdom and their power to smite the Damned Ardyn Lucis Caelum, put the world to rights and end the loop,”_ he said, his voice echoing and turning into multiple, filling the space with sound.

The Kings stood tall and proud before him. _“We will lend you these things, for a price. The source of your power; your voice.”_ They replied, and Solis recoiled at the notion of not being able to speak or even sing again. But, with a deep breath and a well of confidence, he accepted and was suddenly booted out of the Ring of the Lucii.

 

The others stared as Solis stood, ring on his finger, completely stock still. The silence filled the hall, sitting heavy in the atmosphere. Ardyn suddenly began to chuckle, which turned into roaring laughter. He sounded slightly mad as he cackled.

“Your dear brother is probably talk to the Old Kings as we speak,” he chocked out between giggles, wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes as Noctis practically growled at him.

“Watch, we should see him be burnt to pieces any second now,” Ardyn gloated, almost eagerly watching Solis, looking for a lick of flame or a spark. Nothing came, and the man suddenly turned to face the group.

The ring sat on his left hand, glinting in the light as Solis suddenly floated two feet off the floor, eyes glowing an unnatural blue, his whole attention on Ardyn. His finger was extended to where Ardyn stood, the smirk in delight at Solis’ supposed end slowly sliding off his mouth.

The air grew heavy with power suddenly, and Noctis order the others into a crouch, their weapons banished to the Armiger once again as they watched the Ring of Lucii crackled with power.

**_“Ardyn Lucis Caelum,”_** Solis said, his voice loud and commanding, bouncing off the walls to create an endless echo. **_“The Kings have witnessed your tyranny for long enough.”_**

All but Ardyn had by now covered their ears, Solis’ voice too loud on their eardrums. The Damned was desperately trying to summon any power he could, but the shapes of the weapons flickered and failed each time he tried. He glared at Solis as the man stared back, his ethereal blue gaze staring back.

**_“You will no longer torment this Star. You will loose all power and be killed,”_** Solis said, and Ardyn began to desperately deny it, running towards the door that led outside.

With a sweep of his hand, Solis destroyed it, and Ardyn’s one way out of here. The man turned and snarled at Solis who coolly returned it with a smirk of his own.

**_“The Old Kings send their regards,”_** Solis said, wiggling the fingers of his left hand in farewell. **_“Hope you enjoy your life in eternal damnation.”_** And with a click of Solis’ fingers, and a burst of blue light, Ardyn was gone.

The Acolyte’s head suddenly tipped towards the ceiling, mouth open in a silent scream of agony. Ignis spotted almost a collar of red running around Solis’ neck before he dropped to the floor with a dull thud.

Ignis ran over quickly, picking up Solis’ head and pillowing it in his lap. He could hear the others coming up behind him as he pulled out their last Ether and Elixir, giving both to Solis.

The colour returned to his cheeks, and his breaths went from gasps to even and slow.

“We did it,” Luna said quietly, voice filled with pride as she combed her fingers through Solis’ hair.

“Yeah, but at what cost?” Noctis asked.

“A cost less than what you would’ve paid,” came a voice behind them, and the group turned around to see a woman gliding over to them.

“Gentiana,” Luna whispered, and the woman smiled back at her before kneeling down to lay her hand on Solis’ forehead.

“He will be fine, he’s just sleeping to recuperate the energy he lost,” she told the group. “He used a lot of power.”

“Did we do it? Is the loop reset?” Luna asked her, desperate to know whether they completed their mission.

“The loop is reset, it will be destroyed in due course when I and the other Astrals meet in our next Council,” she told her, while the others looked on in confusion. Gentiana smiled kindly. “It seems you have a lot of catching up to do.”

_Have you got everything?_ Ignis signed as Solis stepped into the kitchen, bag on the shoulder. He nodded in response, gesturing to the bag on his shoulder.

_It’ll be nice to see everyone again. It’s been a long time,_ Solis replied, handing Ignis his keys as the two of them left the apartment, heading down the stairs to the foyer.

_Six years almost,_ Ignis signed as they climbed into the car, the door shutting behind them with a quiet thud.

_How much better do you think Gladio has gotten at sign?_ Solis asked, using their made up gesture for Gladio (which was imitating swinging a big sword)

_I’m not sure, but I doubt he’ll be as bad as Nyx,_ Ignis replied, and Solis leaned his elbow against the door, tilting his head to watch the world go by.

It had been six years since Solis put on the Ring of the Lucii. Six years without his voice, where his only communication was his hands.

But, he realised over the years that he wouldn’t have it any other way. That he’d give up his voice again and again if it meant Noctis got to live and the Old Kings stopped meddling with the timeline.

He actually found he liked being silent, meant he could have a bigger impact whenever he communicated with another person. _And,_ he though, glancing over to where Ignis was effortlessly driving their car, blonde hair glowing in the sunlight and glasses glinting. _It pays to be surrounded by those you love._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm gonna cry. 
> 
> First off THANK YOU for the Kudos and comments. (Lynx I LIVE for yours each time) and thank you for taking the time to read this story. 
> 
> I'm not ecstatic with this ending (for one thing it is very short - oops), and if any of you were hoping there to be an interaction between Solis and Regis, I'm sorry? BUT! I am by NO MEANS done with Solis. There's bits of him I didn't even get to explore, and parts of his and Ignis' relationship I haven't ironed out. So. This isn't the END end, just a hiatus until I come back to it. There will not be a sequel. I think there isn't really much to get into a sequel, and almost all loose ends have been tied. But, the things that I will be writing will be oneshots.   
> But that will be in the near future. 
> 
> I hope you all have had as much fun reading Solis' adventure as I have had writing it. This is my first official multichaptered fic that I've finished and published online. Which is quite an astonishment if I do say so myself. But, there is more to come. 
> 
> So, please everyone stay safe and well and hopefully we'll get out of this mess with our insanity intact. (I know I'm going slightly crazy staying inside all day - walks are my lifesavers atm). I will see you all very soon with that new Star Wars story as well.


End file.
